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'TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION." 



BIOGKAPHY 



ISAAC W. AMBLER, 



BY WILLIAM P. FREEMAN. 



SECOND EDITION. 




B I D D E FIXED : 

PUBLISHED BY HO R TON BROTHER! 
1860. 



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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, by 

HORTON BROTHERS, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Maine. 



Stereotyped and Printed by Bro-wn Thurston, Portland. 



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ISAAC W. AMBLER. 



PREFACE. 



I first became acquainted with the subject of this narrative ii 
the spring of 1859, and having heard him relate many striking 
events that had occurred to him, 1 asked him why he did not 
have his life written, that by doing it he might get an educa- 
tion. His answer was, that he had often thought of it; and, 
upon further conversation, he asked me to sketch down the inci- 
dents of his life, which I have done, although somewhat in an 
imperfect manner. 

The subject of this narrative was born in England, and was 
early deprived of his parents ; commenced, when seven years 
old, to work in the coal mines, and worked in them four years, 
after which he entered the British army, in which he served seven 
years before making his escape to Portland, Me. During all 
this time, he was addicted to the intoxicating cup, and led an 
unhappy life. From Portland he moved to Biddeford, and 
thence to Newburyport, Mass., where he was brought, by the 
power of God, to see the error of his ways, and to turn his feet 
into the testimonies of the Lord. I have endeavored to write 
this narrative in a simple and natural style, and to depict the 
scenes as near life as was in my power. I have written them in 
the form of an autobiography, that I might give them as nearly as 
possible in the words of the subject himself. 



Biddeford, October 1, 1859. 



W. P. F. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 



CHAPTER I. 



I was born in Littlemore, Yorkshire County, 
England, in the year 1825 or 1826. The exact 
date of my birth I never knew, but have often 
heard my grandmother say that it was about four- 
teen days after Christmas. I was born in a small, 
one-story house, situated on a high bluff, in front 
of which flowed a small stream of water. Around 
the house was a plot of land about one mile in 
circumference. 

My father was a smart, active, and industrious 
man, naturally quick-tempered, but soon reconciled. 
He was by trade a weaver. He was a kind father 
and an affectionate husband. My mother was a 
quiet, humble Christian, one who adorned the doc- 
trines of our Lord and Savior by a well ordered life 
and conversation. And now, when my mind is 
turned back to my childhood days, I can remember 



b LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

how she would place her hand upon my head and 
bless me. I was the only child. "When three 
years old my father moved from the house lie rent- 
ed on the bluff, to a house near the New Dolphin ; 
after which the old house and land on the bluff 
were bought by a rich man named Knowles. This 
piece of land was a place wherfe the gamesters re- 
sorted for cock-fighting and gambling, in all its 
branches ; but this man built a granite wall, some 
nine feet high, around it, which ever after kept the 
gamesters out. My grandparents lived near the 
Old Dolphin, and under the same roof lived my 
uncle William. He had three sons and a daugh- 
ter. Soon after my parents moved to the New 
Dolphin, my mother took me to see my grandpar- 
ents. She carried me in her arms, and when re- 
turning home, in crossing a neighbor's field, she 
was frightened by seeing a bull but a short distance 
from her. My mother had on a red shawl, which, 
blowing in the breeze, caught his gaze ; throwing 
me into a thorn hedge, she started at a swift pace 
towards a stone wall, which she reached just as 
the breath of the animal could have been heard 
behind her. So anxious Avas she to get from his 
way, that in her haste to get over the Avail she 
slipped and fell over, severely bruising her. She 
soon recovered, and by a circuit came around 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 7 

where I was in the hedge, and took me in her arms, 
and with difficulty reached home. She never re- 
covered from the effects of her bruises, but had to 
take to her bed from which she never arose. Dur- 
ing her sickness I was one night called to her bed- 
side, and she put her hands upon my head and 
blessed me, gave me to God, and then breathed her 
last. Thus was I early deprived of a mother, 
whose gentle admonitions and humble prayers I 
shall never hear again. How thankful should I be 
that God, who is faithful to his people, has heard 
the prayers of my mother, though offered many 
years ago, and that in New England, far from my 
native home, he has sent his holy spirit to convince 
me of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, and 
that through his help I have commenced a new 
life in Christ. How true are the words in the 
Scriptures, that " the prayers of the righteous avail- 
eth much." 

My father belonged to a club, and it was the cus- 
tom when one of their number, or family died, for 
all to attend the funeral services. On this occasion 
they had to go some three miles to the burial 
ground ; four men carried the corpse on their shoul- 
ders. When they came to Queen's Head, about 
one mile from home, they blew their trumpets,* 

* A custom in country places at that time, when passing houses, 
to blow trumpets. 



8 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

and I remember of looking up to my father and 
saying, " Father, mother is crying." When we 
had gone about one mile from Queen's Head, I 
was crying so hard that my father told me to go to 
my grandparents, about one mile distant. I left 
him to go, but was tired and I went away a short 
distance and sat down beside the road, when a 
stranger came along and took me into his carriage 
and carried me to my grandparents, and soon after 
I went home to my father's. A few weeks after 
my mother's death, my father took it so much at 
heart, as he worshipped my mother, and as his fire- 
side seemed dreary, as the chief attraction was gone, 
that he took to drink ; and this led to gambling, and 
he passed much of his time in the ale-houses, thus 
neglecting his work and running into debt. I re- 
member one day of going into a neighbor's house, 
and the man, knowing my father was a drinking 
man, abused me and told me to go home about my 
business. I went home crying, and told my father, 
who was quite angry with him, and he went imme- 
diately to see what he meant in abusing me ; arriv- 
ing there, he commenced to talk with the man, and 
they soon came to hard words, and then to lighting. 
My father was a very strong man, and he seized 
him and threw him over his head, nearly killing 
him. My father, as 1 have said before, was in debt, 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 9 

and the bailiffs came one clay, and as the doors 
were fastened they went away, but soon returned 
with a sledge, and breaking open the doors, they en- 
tered. My father took me with him into an upper 
chamber and locked the door. The bailiffs took all 
the tilings below, excepting some straw which they 
left for us to sleep upon, and carried them away. 
This was in the cold season, and I suffered much, 
living in this condition, not having hardly enough 
to eat, and staying at home many nights alone. 
My father having yet some feeling left, took me to 
my grandparents, and told them that he would pay 
one-half a crown per week for my support ; they 
agreed to keep me, and then he went away to Hal- 
ifax, four miles distant, to work in the mills, weav- 
ing. He came to my grandparents' to see me the 
two Saturday nights following, and the last night 
he came, called me up, as I was then abed, and 
gave me three half-pence, and then kissed me and 
left ; and from that time I have never seen nor 
heard from him. 

Now, truly I was alone, — my mother was dead, 
my father the same as dead to me, without sister 
or brother, and dependent on charity. My grand- 
father was very poor in circumstances, a shuttle- 
maker by trade. Both grandparents were pious, 
and members of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, 



10 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

and lived up to their profession. 1 was now about 
live years old. My grandparents sent me to school 
a short' time, but money was scarce, and as they 
conld not pay my tuition, they took me from school 
and set me to work winding 'bobbins for weaving. 
After working at this about two years, my grand- 
parents taught me to weave, and being too short to 
reach the looms, I was compelled to wear a pair of 
wooden clogs some two inches thick to reach the 
treadles. Business soon became dull in manufac- 
turing, and we were left without work. My grand- 
father not getting anything to do, went to the 
overseers of the poor, to ascertain if they would 
assist any in my support ; but they would not assist 
any one away from the poor-house. Shortly after 
this, my grandmother asked me if I should not like 
to go to Clayton, two miles distant ; she said she 
would buy me some candy. I went, not expecting 
that she would take me to the poor-house ; but 
poverty, to what straits will it not drive the most 
exemplary ? When the pangs of hunger were 
driving them to desperation, she could not bear to 
tell me that she was going to take me to the poor- 
house. My grandmother, after she arrived there, 
conversed with a woman at the door a short time, 
then this woman took me under her arm, and while 
I kicked and screamed she carried me into the 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 11 

house. I ran out into a back yard where there was 
quite a garden spot that had a fence some ten feet 
high around it. I climbed up this fence, and got 
caught so that I could neither get up nor down. 
The woman came and took me down and carried 
me into a room where there were a number of 
women and children, who stared rudely at me. 

Here I was, a stranger. None knew me, and I 
knew none of them, and turning from their earnest 
gaze, I shrunk away into one corner of the room, 
and covering my face with my hands, I wept bitter- 
ly. I cried until dinner was served up, which con- 
sisted of coarse porridge, and which I could not 
eat, as I could not subdue my tears nor stop the 
throbbing of my heart. In this way I remained 
until supper, when the mistress kindly brought me 
a piece of bread and molasses, a part of which I 
managed to eat ; after which a big, brawny fellow 
took me to an upper chamber, where among quite 
a number of beds I was stowed away in one corner 
of the room upon a small cot. Thus left, I sunk 
into an uneasy slumber ; thoughts of my early 
home and of my mother came upon me ; I thought 
that I again stood by my mother's bed, and with 
her hands again upon my head, she blessed me the 
same as the night she died. These words, " God 
bless and preserve the poor orphan," seemed to 



12 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

ring in my ears, and bursting into tears, I awoke, 
and pulling the clothes over my head, I again 
sobbed myself into a broken slumber. Again, I 
thought of my home and of my grandmother ; I 
thought I knelt by her side and repeated my eve- 
ning prayer ; again, my father seemed to stand by 
my bedside, as on the night he left me ; I seemed 
to feel his burning kiss upon my cheek, and awoke 
to find myself an inmate of the poor-house. I 
could not sleep, — the hours passed slowly away, — 
every striking of the clock I heard, — how glad I 
was when the first ray of morning light found its 
way through the humble window. I hailed the bright 
messenger and welcomed his first coming to break 
the long, long darkness of the night. Ye, who 
sleep upon beds of down ; ye, who pass the hours 
of night in pleasure and revelry, and would stay 
the morning light, think of the poor orphan ; and 
may God, in his goodness and mercy, ever keep 
you from the miseries of the poor-house ! 



LIF.E OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 



13 



CHAPTER II. 



With the first dawn of light I fell asleep ; how 
long I slept I knew not, but was awakened by the 
harsh tones of the mistress, who rudely shook me 
by the arm. and said : 

" Come, sir, is this the way you want to spend 
your time ? " 

I hardly dared to gaze into her face, but answer- 
ed that I had not slept until daylight. 

" Well," says she, " we sleep here by night and 
work by day, and we allow no breaking of these 
regulations. Now dress yourself and come down 
to breakfast." 

I dressed as quick as possible, and hurried down. 
The room into which I went was a long one, 
and. in the middle of it was a table reaching nearly 
the whole length, around which about fifty persons 
were seated. I seated myself beside a bright, pretty 
girl, about fourteen years of age, and while the others 
made some coarse remarks about me, this girl kind- 



14 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

ly moved her chair for me to sit by her side. As I 
sat down, the whole company stared at me, and as 
I thought how different from the little table that 
we seated ourselves around at my grandmother's, 
tears filled my eyes, which caught the gaze of my 
mistress, and she said, " Come, we want no babies 
here, and you'll find we don't allow any baby 
whims. Now stop your crying, or go up stairs." 

Stop my crying ! As well she might have told 
the waves to stop their dashing upon some seashore, 
or stop the rays of the sunlight. I sprang from the 
table, and hastened up stairs to the room I had 
slept in, and cried until dinner time. I will say 
here that the poor-houses of England and those of 
the United States are not the same. Those of the 
United States are palaces compared with those in 
England. The meanest provisions that could be 
obtained, and served up in the most slovenly man- 
ner, were set before me ; and, although I had always 
lived poorly at home, yet what we had was neat and 
clean, and managed with taste, but how different 
here. They did not seem to stand for ceremony, 
but each person seemed to act for himself, and in- 
tent only on taking care of number one. Every per- 
son seemed to be ou his own hook, and a reckless dash 
was made at the soup dishes at a motion from the 
master of the house, who stood at the head of the 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AilELER. 15 

table ; and as I sat near one of these soup dishes, 
more of the soup was thrown in my face by the 
collision of spoons in the dish, than passed down 
my throat. The clattering of spoons and the buzz 
of voices nearly frightened me at first, being un- 
used to such scenes as the one before me. The 
soup rapidly disappeared before the famished eaters, 
and I soon found that my share would be rather 
small, and that if I got any at all I should have to 
" run the gauntlet," I therefore timidly placed my 
spoon into the soup dish only to have it knocked 
out of my hands by a more bold adventurer. I 
made an effort to recover it. and one of the men 
near, mistaking my motion, thinking I was going 
to seize a piece of meat, of which I believe there 
was one piece, said, " Come, young chick, you are 
rather bold for so short a stop, but you'll learn be- 
fore you have been here long to respect your bet- 
ters." Blushing, I took my hand away from the 
dish, and as I was not hungry, I left the table and 
went up stairs to the room that I slept in, and pass- 
ed the afternoon. The shades of night were draw- 
ing around, and as 1 looked from the window and 
heard the wind rustle through the trees, how sad the 
sound to me ; that which AYas music sweet to me at 
other times, now filled my soul with sorrow, and it 
seemed to be the very echoing of my saddened 



16 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

heart. But T gazed beyond, and as I looked up to 
the bright heavens and saw the evening stars twink- 
le, and the moon shedding forth her rays of light, 
and as the darkness increased and the shadows of 
the trees appeared, stretching forth their huge limbs 
along the dusty way, I was startled by the shrill, 
piercing cry of the whippowil. What shrill tones 
they were ! They thrilled in my ear like that sound 
which I never shall forget, the trumpet tones 
that were blown at my mother's funeral. This, of 
the whippowil, seemed to be the same shrill blast. I 
thought when the trumpet was blown, of the loss 
of my mother, and now this seemed to remind me 
of the loss of my father. As I looked out I heard 
the rumbling of wheels, and immediately a carriage 
came swiftly up to the door, and a man alighted 
and took a child from the carriage. I heard the 
treading of feet below, and the distant tones of my 
mistress's voice, and then the reply of a man. I 
saw the carriage turn and hasten away. Another 
one, I thought, has come to crowd the already over- 
filled poor-house. I leaned on the window sill and 
wept. I then went and knelt down in one corner 
of the room, and with upturned eyes I repeated my 
evening prayer, and prayed that God would take 
me home to Him where my poor mother was. I 
then arose and went back to the window again, and 



LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 17 

leaned against the window sill. Sleepiness came 
over me. How long I slept I know not ; but when 
I awoke the sunlight filled the chamber. I remem- 
bered of going to sleep at the window, but I was 
now in my little cot, my clothes were off, and I in- 
wardly blest the one who had cared for the poor 
orphan. While musing, a girl came to my side, 
the one I sat beside at the table. She said, " Do 
you remember where you went to sleep last night ?" 
I told her it was by the window, I thought. She 
said, " My mistress came up with me last night, and 
seeing you at the window, she said, ' Dirty boy, let 
him stay there.' But after mistress was gone, I 
took and carried you to your cot." I thank you, 
I said, and could say no more. I felt happy to 
know that there was one that felt and cared for the 
poor orphan. After recovering some, I conversed 
with this girl, but while talking with her I heard 
my mistress calling me to come down. I rose up 
immediately, and dressed myself, and went down 
and found that the breakfast was cleared away, but 
the mistress gave me a cracker with a mug of water. 
The cracker I ate, but I felt weak, and I plead with 
her to send for my grandmother to come and take 
me home. But she paid no attention to my re- 
quest, and I found it availed me nothing to plead 



18 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

with her. I felt the tears trickling down my cheeks, 
my head grew dizzy, and I fell senseless to the 
floor. When I came to myself, I was in my little 
cot. I beheld watching at my side the girl who 
had been so kind to me. I tried to rise, but ex- 
hausted, fell back on the bed and closed my eyes to 
sleep. What dreams I had ! In my imagination I 
was carried to a fairy land ; it seemed as if thou- 
sands were gathered before me, and music sweet 
fell like the faint murmur of rippling brooks, and 
then in prolonged and swelling notes it seemed to 
break forth in such delightful strains that my soul 
was in ecstacy. I looked around on tins vast as- 
sembly, and near I beheld my mother. She looked 
at me, and an angelic smile seemed to light up her 
face, as she beckoned me to approach her. I hast- 
ened on ; and as I neared her, stretched forth my 
hand to grasp hers. A few more steps and I should 
take her by the hand. But before me was a deep, 
dark chasm, into which I had almost plunged. I 
looked down this dark abyss, and could see no bot- 
tom. I raised my eyes, the scene had changed ; 
dark forests of trees were all around me ; clouds 
seemed gathering over my head, and I turned and 
hurried from the place ; but dark, black clouds 
were hastening after me ; I turned to look behind, 
when a vivid flash of lightning, that blinded me for 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 19 

an instant, accompanied with a startling crash of 
thunder that rocked the trees, and seemed to rend 
the earth asunder, struck a huge tree at my side. 
A bright ball of fire struck the top, and scattering 
the limbs around, sunk deep in the earth at my feet. 
It awakened me ; my lips were parched, my flesh 
hot ; some water was at my side, I eagerly drank 
it down, and again I slept until morning dawned, 
and I arose refreshed, and with what joy I learned 
that they had sent for my grandmother to come and 
take me home, thinking that unless they did, I 
should worry myself to death. 



20 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 



CHAPTER III. 



How happy I felt, and how quick I dressed my- 
self and hurried down to wait her coming to take 
me home. Looking out of the window to catch 
the first glimpse of my grandmother, how my heart 
beat as I saw her form approaching the poor-house, 
I could not wait her coming, but seizing my cap, I 
hurried from the room and ran down the road to 
meet her. When I reached her I threw myself into 
her arms and wept, now tears of joy. She was so 
overcome that she sat down beside the road and 
wept freely, and kissing me, she said, " If I have only 
one meal a day, thee shall have one-half of it, Isaac." 
I felt so happy that I laughed and wept by turns, 
and I told her I would do anything for her if she 
would never send me to the poor-house again. She 
said she never would ; and arising from the ground, 
we turned our backs to the poor-house, and started 
for home. All my wardrobe I had on my back, and 
as we went toward home how happy I felt, every- 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 21 

thing looked beautiful around me. The* sun was 
shining brightly, and the earth was clothed in 
green ; the fragrance of the blossoms was wafted 
on every breeze ; my troubles were all forgotten ; 
my poverty was at once changed into riches, for as 
I looked on the broad face of Nature, I thought 
the sun is shining for me, the birds are singing for 
me, the sweet scent of roses was wafted on every 
breeze to me, and can I not enjoy the beauties of 
God's creation as highly as the person who can com- 
mand his millions ? For although his money is at 
his command, yet not the whole of it can stop the 
singing of the birds for me, or the rays of the sun 
shining for me, or blot out one of the thousands 
of stars that illuminate the heavens. Then am I 
not happy to be thus situated, — having wealth that 
cannot be counted, — riches that cannot be estimat- 
ed, conferred daily upon me ? And as these thoughts 
rushed through my mind, how happy I felt. I 
would run some distance before my grandmother, 
until her form would be just visible behind me, and 
then sit down beside the road to wait her coming. 
When we arrived home I was set to weaving again ; 
but business became dull, and we had very little to 
do, and I remember of hearing many prayers offer- 
ed up to the Throne of Grace that God would send 
them some work, that they might get some money 



22 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

to buy their daily bread, and oftentimes some little 
jobs would come, and thus we were kept along. 

About this time a new kind of hand loom, called 
the " Jacquard" loom, was introduced for weaving. 
My grandfather took the job of boring the u Cum- 
ber-boards," (they were full of holes for the harness 
to pass through,) and I used to tread the lathe to 
help bore them, which was very hard work for so 
small a boy, and I used to drip with sweat. My 
grandfather saved up some money by this job, but 
my grandmother was taken sick shortly after, and 
it took all the money he had saved to pay the ex- 
penses of her sickness, and thus we were left al- 
most destitute again. But they trusted in God and 
prayed still, and in this condition we lived, getting 
just enough to keep us alive. One morning I over- 
heard my grandfather say to my grandmother, that 
I should have to go to the poor-house again. On 
hearing this, I hardly knew what to do. I had 
rather do anything than go to the poor-house. 
The very thought made me sick. But while think- 
ing what I had better do, I thought of the coal 
mines — could I get work there ? I was small, but 
boys worked in the mines as small as I was. I will 
try, I said to myself, and I ran out of the house and 
went to one of the coal mines that was about one 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 23 

mile distant, and here I hired out with a collier for 
six shillings and six pence per week. I then went 
back and told my grandparents what I had done ; 
they consented for me to go to work the next morn- 
ing. The coal mines are the last resort to obtain a 
living, and no parents will let their children go into 
the mines if they can otherwise support them. Chil- 
dren, when very small, can get work in the mines 
when they could not at any other place ; thus the 
reason for going into the mines so young. I went 
to work in the coal-pit. 

In opening a coal mine they first sink a shaft to 
the seam of coal, varying from one hundred to one 
hundred and fifty feet deep. Often in sinking a 
shaft, the loose dirt will fall in, and to prevent this, 
the upper part of the shaft is walled around, some- 
times this is done nearly the whole depth. These 
shafts are from ten to fifteen feet in diameter. 
Another difficulty that arises is, that veins of water 
are struck, which immediately commence to fill up 
the shaft. This is excluded by lining the shaft 
with boards fastened to the sides, which is called 
tubbing. If the first shaft that is sunk proves suc- 
cessful, another is, in most cases, sunk a short dis- 
tance from the other, about fifteen feet, and then 
at the bottom an opening is excavated to the other 



24 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

shaft; one of these is called the clown cast and the 
other the up cast. The object is to get ventilation, 
the air descending the down cast and ascending the 
up cast. 

In this mine I had to take coal in what is called 
a scoop or a small corve. This corve I drew my 
loads of coal in, was an oblong wagon, with small 
iron wheels, running on a railway. The distance 
to the mouth of the pit was two hundred yards. 
The passage was about two feet high. This corve 
was fastened to me by a chain, passing between my 
legs and hooking into a staple in a broad leather 
belt that was around my waist. To haul a loaded 
corve, with the rigging attached, requires practice. 
At first it was exceedingly tiresome, and I have often 
fallen flat on my face from exhaustion, but by con- 
stant effort and practice it became less laborious. 
This corve I would haul by going on " all fours," 
or upon my hands and feet, while the weight of my 
body would be supported by the chain passing be- 
tween my legs. In hauling my corve in this man- 
ner, I had the skin wore off my hands badly, so 
that my grandfather made me two wooden crutches 
to hold in my hands, and by them I was enabled to 
continue working without so much pain as before 
experienced, as the crutches kept my hands from 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 25 

the earth and sharp pieces of iron ore that were in 
the bottom of the passage. 

From the top of this pit to the bottom it was sixty- 
feet. This mine was worked on a cheap scale, no 
horses, no machinery of any kind, excepting a block 
and tackle to hoist the coal from the bottom of the 
pit. My corve I would haul to the month of the 
pit, where the " banksman," so called, as he stands 
at the top of the pit and hoists out the coal, would 
lower down a rope with an empty corve attached, 
which, when lowered down the pit, I would take off 
and then fasten the rope to the loaded corve which 
the " banksman" would hoist to the top of the shaft 
and empty, and then lower down to receive the 
loaded corves as the boys would take them along. 
Sometimes the " banksman" would hoist so slowly, 
that I would have to wait sometime for him to low- 
er down the empty corve, so as to go back, and my 
employer would throw large pieces of coal at me 
for being gone so long. Sometimes I have been 
struck so hard as to nearly knock me down. Then, 
again, I would hurry so fast with my corve to get 
back, that I have often struck my back against the 
ledge and bruised me so badly that the blood would 
trickle down at every step I took. The water in these 
mines was, in many places through which I hauled 

my load, six inches deep. Sometimes striking the 
2 



26 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

ledge, I have been thrown flat in the water, and I 
would pray that God would take me out of the 
world. 

I worked in these mines two or three months, 
abused by all around me. I worked in the lower 
passage ; above me was a passage or chamber, and 
one morning this chamber sprung aleak, and the 
water soon filled the passage that I worked in, so 
that I was obliged to leave off work. I went home 
and told my grandparents, and they set me to work 
weaving. I worked a few weeks, but as I did not 
earn enough to keep me, my grandparents sent me 
to look up some work. I went about one mile from 
home, to another coal mine, called " hunting pits," 
old mines that had been worked in many years be- 
fore, and when left, the timber that supported the 
roof was knocked down, and by this the roof fell 
in, and considerable coal was in the passages. The 
work was to get the remainder of the coal. I hired 
out with a collier for eight shillings and sixpence 
per week. The colliers usually take their work by 
the job, and they hire boys to work for them, and 
to haul the coal out to the mouth of the pit, while 
they get or pick the coal out, which, of itself, re- 
quires practice and experience. 

The colliers settled with the boys at the end of 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 27 

every week, and my money I used to take home to 
my grandmother, she giving me a ninepence a week 
for spending money. We had to go up to an inn 
at the foot of Beacon hill, where our employers 
would settle with us. The colliers were all hard 
drinkers, and very profane, especially the one I 
worked with. The keeper of the inn usually did 
a good business Saturday night ; for much of the 
money that was paid to the boys would be spent be- 
fore they went home ; and many times my employ- 
er, after settling with me Saturday night, would 
spend the balance of his money for drink, and then 
borrow of mo. Since that time an act has been 
passed by Parliament, forbidding colliers paying off 
their help at taverns, under a fine or penalty of 
five to twenty pounds. The passing of this act has 
done a great amount of good to the poorer classes, 
and restrained drinking to some considerable ex- 
tent. 

One Saturday night the colliers had called for 
their help to go up to the tavern as usual, and set- 
tle. I having worked hard that day and during 
the week, had pleased my employer so well, that he 
was bound to treat me ; and by strong persuasions 
he induced me to drink with the rest of them, and 
by so doing I got intoxicated so that I had to stop 
at the tavern until late at night before I was able to 



28 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

go home. The scenes of that night are now before 
me, and I can easily trace much of the misery and 
sorrow which have followed me through a large part 
of my life, to the indulgences of that night. I 
started for home, and the iirst part of my journey 
my steps were irregular, but before I arrived home 
I was as sober as ever. My grandmother always 
sat up for me Saturday nights, and as I neared the 
house and saw the light burning in the window for 
me, my heart almost failed me ; but mustering 
courage, at length I opened the door and entered. 
My grandmother was up and anxiously waiting for 
me. She met me at the door, and said, " Isaac, I 
am afraid that thee has been drinking with the col- 
liers. I know that they all drink ; have they not 
enticed thee to drink ? " I could never tell my 
grandmother a falsehood, and I therefore told her 
the whole story. She talked long with me that 
night, and how earnestly she prayed that I might 
be saved from the temptations that beset me on 
every side, and that I might be kept from going 
down to a drunkard's grave. 

How unhappy should I have felt if I had foreseen 
the evils that this act led me into. What great, 
and alas ! what fatal results followed that first ulass. 
When asked to drink I knew the evils of it. I knew 
the consequences of drinking strong drinks, yet I 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. ' 29 

had not moral courage enough to say, resolutely, 
No ! Never taste or drink the first glass, and you 
will never be a drunkard ; drink it, and the chances 
are against you. You may indeed say, as I did 
that night, " It will do no hurt this once." But if you 
drink the first time, you will be more liable to ac- 
cept the second time it is offered you. Then, again, 
did you ever know a moderate drinker to say or 
even think that he would become a drunkard ? 
They have not the least idea of such a thing. But 
who makes the drunkard, is it the sober, temper- 
ate man ? No ! It is the moderate drinker. Then, 
reader, beware, if you take your first glass because 
it is fashionable or manly, that you do not, by the 
use of strong drinks, bring your body to an early 
grave, and your soul unprepared to meet its God. 
That first glass that I took that night at the tavern, 
was the means of bringing misery and wretched- 
ness upon me, and an appetite for strong drinks 
that well nigh carried me to a drunkard's grave. 
But my readers must pardon my digression here, 
if such they term it. My excuse is, that it is de- 
manded, and I should fail to discharge that duty 
which devolves upon me of portraying the evils that 
arise from the results of taking the first glass, if I 
lightly passed this over. 



30 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 



CHAPTER IV. 



On Monday morning following, I arose early, ae 
I was accustomed to do, and took my scanty break- 
fast and started for my work. My way was through 
a narrow road, called " Stock's Lane." This lane 
was about one-half a mile long, and one mile from 
this lane was the Sheffield Furnace Iron Foundry. 
The blaze that went up from the chimneys of that 
Foundry would cast a light for miles around. One 
side of this lane that I traveled was shady, while 
the other was very light. By the side of this lane 
was Dolphin Chapel, with a burial ground attached, 
where my mother was buried. I had often heard 
the old people tell of ghosts being seen here, and 
when passing this burial place I used to keep on the 
dark side of the lane, so that no one could see me. 
Passing thus along early Monday morning, on the 
dark side, I tripped my foot against something in 
my way, and fell headlong. I arose quickly, and 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 81 

hearing behind me a snorting and clanking of 
chains, with my hair standing on end, I ran as fast 
as I could. I had gone but a short distance 
before I came in contact with some kind of an an- 
imal, and again fell prostrate to the ground. Now 
fear seized me, and with sweat dripping from me, I 
started with all speed. Again I heard the clanking 
of chains, and thinking that the " Old Fellow" him- 
self was at my heels, I ran into a shed and braced 
myself against the door. I remained in this situa- 
tion until I heard the voices of the other boys go- 
ing to the mines, when I went out and told them 
how I had been frightened. They laughed, and 
said that they had been frightened in the same man- 
ner, and told me what had frightened me was noth- 
ing more than two jackasses, owned by my uncle, 
that had lain down for the night, and had been 
suddenly startled by my running on to them, and 
being breechy they were clogged, a chain running 
from one foot to another. I joined the boys, and 
we went to the mines. 

In these mines the water was some six inches 
deep. Working in this water my clothes would be 
soaked through, although I did not have clothes on, 
only a pair of pants ; so when I went home, it be- 
ing cold weather, my clothes would freeze stiff, and 



32 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

would rub the skin off my legs, making it very 
painful for me to walk. These mines I would go 
into Monday morning, and would not see the sun 
again, only, by glimpses up through the pit, until 
the next Sunday morning, as I used to leave the 
mines after sunset, and go in before it was hardly 
light. 

I was now about eleven years old, but much larg- 
er and stronger than boys usually are at my age. 

About this time, my cousin who lived under the 
same roof with me, came to work in the mines ; his 
mother always opposed strongly my going into the 
mines, but she found that I stood the labor so well, 
and that I grew stronger and more robust since I 
entered the mines, that she at last gave her consent 
for her son to go to work in them. 

He was very delicate, and after working in the 
mines a short time, in the water, he took cold, 
which brought on a cough, from which he never 
recovered. He was naturally timid and afraid, and 
as we passed through " Stock's Lane," I always used 
to go forward. About this time there were stories 
circulating of a wild man having been seen here, 
and he was more than usually timid. As we were 
going through this lane one morning, as we went 
to the mines, which was early, before any colliers 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 33 

had arrived, we saw a bright light issuing from one 
of the cabins near the pit ; and looking in we saw 
two men, one had a long beard reaching down to 
his breast. "That's the wild man," said I, and 
then running to the pit, I seized the rope that 
went down the pit, and slid down into the mines. 
My cousin followed me ; we were both scared, and 
ran and hid away until the miners began to come ; 
and then we came out and told them what we had 
seen, but the two men had gone before the colliers 
came to work. The men were probably travelers, 
who went into a turf cabin to rest for the night. 
My cousin had the skin worn off his hands so badly 
by sliding down the rope, that he was unable to 
work, and went home and never came to work in 
the mines again. A short time after this, I was 
working in the mines one morning, when suddenly 
the roof broke down, and I was buried in the dirt ; 
but one of the colliers being near me, seized hold 
of my legs and pulled me out. I was bruised 
badly, and wished to go home, but my master 
would not let me. When I went home at night, I 
told my grandmother, and she kept me at home 
two days. While out those two days, as it was 
about the time to celebrate the " gunpowder plot," 
I got me a large iron cannon and some powder, 
2* 



34 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

and when I went into the mines I took the cannon 
and powder with me into the pit. I there loaded 
it, jamming in stones and dirt ; the colliers were 
most of them drunk, celebrating, and they dared 
me to fire it off. I took a candle, and while the 
men were staggering around me, I touched the 
powder. The cannon burst, and the pieces were 
blown in almost every direction, but none of us 
were struck by the pieces, although so near. For 
some time I worked in these mines, no serious ac- 
cidents occurring, although hardly a day passed by 
without some slight accidents happening. The fol- 
lowing is taken from Tomlinson's Cyclopedia. 

" The accidents in the coal-pits are very numer- 
ous. According to one return, for every one hund- 
red men employed, seventy-two accidents occur an- 
nually, of which five are fatal. The accidents 
are almost entirely bruises and broken limbs, aris- 
ing from the falling down of the coal and heavy 
materials of the mine. These accidents can only 
be obviated by a safer system of extracting the 
minerals, by a liberal supply of timber and lights, 
and by prudence and caution on the part of the 
workmen and overlookers. Such accidents are 
most numerous in mines where middle men, or 
butties, are allowed ; they take the contract for a 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 85 

piece of work from the proprietor, and give it out 
to the men, and it is their interest to do the work 
as cheaply as possible, without any regard to the 
safety of the men." 

A few honorable exceptions are, however, men- 
tioned in the Parliamentary Report. One of these 
is the case of a man named Mason, whose pit had 
for a long period been almost entirely free from ac- 
cidents, and the reason assigned by the men was, 
that they met together to pray every clay in the 
dinner hour. " About one o'clock the drink goes 
down the pit, and if a man is not at the place of 
prayer in ten minutes after, he forfeits his drink. 
They sing and pray, and ask a blessing on what 
they are going to have, and then they sit down in 
the road and eat their dinner and drink their beer ; 
and after dinner one reads out of the scriptures ajid 
explains it, and tells the others what the preacher 
has said about it. Sometimes they get God's spirit 
among them very much, and sometimes less so. 
Very few of these men coiild read, and it was stat- 
ed that " a man could not be allowed to join in 
singing and praying unless he was thought to be 
living as a man ought to do." To work in these 
mines the colliers have to exercise much caution, 
and an experienced workman can tell immediately 



3b LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

by sounding the roof, if the dirt is likely to fall in ; 
and if so, they support it with timber. While 
standing under the roof one day, one or two peb- 
bles fell at my feet, and I had barely time to spring 
away from the spot, before some two or three tuns 
of dirt and coal fell with a crash, on the very spot 
where I had been standing. I went immediately 
to the mouth of the pit, and called for the " banks- 
man ;" and just as I looked up, he dropped his 
" tug," as it is called, (a piece of iron used to haul 
in the loaded corves as they are hoisted up,) which 
struck me on my forehead, knocking me down in- 
stantly. In a short time one of the colliers came 
along and took me up. I recovered soon and went 
home, and my employer finding that I should not 
be able to work for some time, hired another boy 
to jtake my place, which left me without work again. 
My grandfather soon after this went to a neighbor- 
ing town to sell shuttles, and while partaking of a 
lunch at an inn, a gentleman asked him if he knew 
of any boy that he could hire to work in the mines. 
This man was a steward or surveyor of coal. My 
grandfather told him that he had a boy, who would 
work with him, and he agreed to give me my board 
and clothes for my labor. When my grandfather 
returned home, he told me what he had done, and 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 87 

as this was Saturday, my employer came for me 
the Monday morning following, and I went gladly 
with him, for I did not wish to be supported by 
charity. These mines that I commenced to work 
in, were about 120 yards deep. My work was the 
same as in the other mines, only somewhat harder. 
In these mines was the choke-damp, so called by 
miners ; it is a carbonic acid gas, and has a suffo- 
cating nature. It issues from certain veins in the 
mines, and no person can long withstand its power. 
I have often, when descending these mines, been 
obliged to cry out for the banksman to hoist me 
back, having my candle go out, and being nearly 
suffocated by the vapor arising out of the pit. 
The surveyor sometimes would not believe me, and 
lie would be lowered down only to be hoisted back 
again. 

In these mines in some places, the bottom of the 
passage would be entirely dry, while in other places 
the water Avould be from two to six inches deep. 
The boys used to work in the mines naked above 
their waist, and so begrimmed would they be by 
the coal-dust, that the only way we could distin- 
guish one another, was by the voice. There were 
besides the boys in these mines, seven girls that 
did the same labor, and were about the same ages 
of the boys. These girls were bright, intelligent, 



38 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

and very pretty ; but when at work in the mines, 
a stranger would have taken them to be negro 
boys. One of these girls was the surveyor's (my 
employer's) daughter; she was a very pretty 
girl. She used to work alongside of me, and 
oftentimes when my corve got off from the track, 
she would assist me in getting it on again. Soon 
after I came into the mines, she went away to work 
in the mills. I missed her much, but I thanked God 
that she had got out of the coal mines. Employ- 
ing girls in the coal mines was tolerated in England 
only about sixteen years ago, and no slave girls 
upon a southern plantation are worked so hard as 
they were. When very small, they are put into 
the mines ; usually, they are put in when younger 
than boys, for a singular notion of the parents that 
they are quick and more capable of making them- 
selves useful. The following extract will show 
how they are worked in the coal-mines. 

" The child has to descend a nine ladder pit to 
the first rest, where a shaft is sunk to draw up the 
basket or tub of coal filled by the bearers ; she then 
takes her creel or basket, a basket formed to the 
back, not unlike a cockle-shell, flattened towards 
the neck, so as to allow lumps of coal to rest on 
the back of the neck and shoulders, and pursues 



LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 89 

her journey to the wall-face, or room of work, as it 
is called. She then lays clown the basket, into 
which the coal is rolled, and it is frequently more 
than one man can do to lift the burden to her back. 
The tug or strap is placed over the forehead, and 
the body bent into a semi-circular form in order 
to stiffen the arch ; large lumps of coal are then 
placed on her neck, and she commences her journey 
with her burden to the pit bottom, first hanging 
her lamp to the cloth crossing her head. One girl 
noticed by the commissioner to examine coal mines, 
had first to travel about eighty-four feet from the 
wall-face to the first ladder which is eighteen feet 
high ; leaving the first ladder, she proceeded along 
the main passage (probably three and a half to 
four feet high) to the second ladder, till she reached 
the pit bottom, when she casts her load varying 
from one hundred weight to one and a half hun- 
dred weight into the tub. This one journey is 
called a rake. The height ascended and the dis- 
tance along the roads added together, exceed the 
height of St. Paul's Cathedral, and it often hap- 
pens that the tugs break, and the load falls upon 
those girls that are following." 

Many hearts were made happy when an act of 
Parliament prohibited females from working in the 
mines, also boys under ten years of age, with a 



40 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

heavy penalty attached to it, for those who violated 
the law. In this mine that I worked in now, they 
used a " gin," so called, for hoisting up the coal ; 
this gin was worked with ponies. One night some 
evil-minded person went to the mine and nearly 
severed the rope used for hoisting and lowering 
the corves down into the pit ; it was not noticed 
by the workmen in the morning, as the rope was 
carefully wound around the axle, so that the place 
where it was cut could not be perceived. The next 
morning two boys jumped into the car to be lower- 
ed down the pit; they had descended but a short 
distance, when the rope parted and they were 
precipitated some eighty-three yards to the first 
chamber, and crashing through this they went 
down with the car thirty-five yards to the bottom 
of the pit, and were instantly killed. They could 
not be recognized, as they were crushed to pieces. 
I usually arrived at the pit as soon as any of the 
boys, but that morning I was late, and by being 
late, I saved my life. A short time after this sad 
accident, a small boy that worked near me, about 
twelve years old, had loaded his corve too much 
behind, he stooped over to pull the coal forward, 
when a piece of iron ore weighing some two huncU 
dred pounds, fell and struck him on the back of 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 41 

his head, instantly killing him. Some of the col- 
liers took and carried him to the month of the pit, 
where he was hoisted to the top. I was a short 
distance from the spot at the time of the accident, 
and was ever reminded of it when passing the place 
where it happened. My employer got the consent 
of my grandfather to bind me to him until I was 
twenty-one years of age, and I willingly acquiesced 
in the arrangement, as I did not wish to be a bur- 
den to my grandparents ; but my grandmother 
would not consent to the arrangement, and she 
came and took me home, and again I was without 
work. My grandfather could not keep me without 
working, as they could barely make a living while 
I was at wprk ; so in a few days I started in pursuit 
of work. I arose early one morning, and so earn- 
est was I to obtain a situation, that I could not 
stop to eat my breakfast, but took a biscuit in my 
hand, and taking my hat, I was going out of the 
house, when my grandmother called me back, and 
said, "Isaac, take my blessing before you go;" 
and standing upon the door-step, she put her thin 
hand upon my head, and said, " God preserve thee 
from danger, and may thee obtain some work, that 
we may be kept from starving ;" and as she turned 
from me, I felt a tear drop upon my head. How 



42 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

that tear drop thrilled me ! It seemed to open a 
fountain of tears, and they burst from my eyes ; 
wiping them away with my jacket sleeve, I darted 
from the house, and ran until I was out of sight, 
and then I seated myself beside the road and wept 
freely. I had never seen my grandmother so agi- 
tated before, and I thought that poverty must be 
staring them in the face. I remained in thought 
a short time, but I knew that I must obtain some 
work ; and arising, I continued my journey about 
two miles to some mines where I obtained work. I 
hired out with a collier for eight shillings a week. 
This man was a hard master, and a hard drinker. 
In the pit where I worked, the water was continu- 
ally dripping from the roof — the miners called it 
raining, so that in a short time after going into the 
mines, Ave would be soaking wet. The water in 
this pit varied from two inches to a foot in depth, 
and in some places it had stood so many years that 
it was cankery, or corroded, and working in it bare- 
footed, it would eat the skin off between my toes, 
making it very painful. Working in this water, I 
took cold, and it settled in one of my knees, and it 
swelled so badly that my grandmother cut my 
pants open and bandaged it around, and in this 
condition I walked two miles to and from my work. 
This was in the cold season, and I froze my feet 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 43 

badly, so that I had to stay at home. The swelling 
on my knee grew worse, and my grandparents 
thought it would be a white swelling ; but fortu- 
nately some dozen or more running sores broke out 
upon my legs, which carried the swelling on my 
knee away. 



44 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 



CHAPTER V. 



I was confined to the house some three weeks or 
more ; but as soon as I could get about, I had to 
obtain work again. I did not want to go into the 
mines again, if I could obtain work at any other 
place. I went some three days around to get work, 
but was not successful. I asked many times for 
work, and by some I would be greeted with a gruff 
reply, that they wished for no small boys ; by oth- 
ers, no notice would be taken of my request, and 
I would leave without repeating the inquiry. But 
I must obtain work, I said to myself, and I must 
go to the mines again ; so I went to " shelve pit," 
opposite an Inn called the " Shoulder of Mutton," 
about one mile from home, where I got a job that 
kept me at work about one month, when the mines 
closed up, and I was left upon my grandparents 
again. 

I went to L , one mile and a half from home, 

and hired out with a collier for nine shillings a 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 45 

week. This mine was worked on a different scale 
from the other mines I worked in. There was no 
shaft sunk into the ground ; but a passage was 
made into the side of a high bluff, at an angle of 
forty-five degrees. Windlasses were used at the 
outside of the passages. There were two tracks, 
one for the corves to go down, and the other for 
the loaded corves to go up. The loaded corves 
were wound up by a long chain affixed to the wind- 
lass, that was worked by ponies. In this mine 
twenty-five boys and fifteen colliers worked. The 
distance down the inclined plain was fifty yards ; 
and from the bottom there was a level road about 
one mile. long. The bed of coal, when I came into 
the mine, had run out, and they had come to a 
solid ledge of iron ore, through which we had to 
blast. To make a blast, they drill a hole about 
one yard deep, which is filled nearly full of pow- 
der, and in the top is jammed coal-dust, and then 
it is ready for blasting. We had gone some twen- 
ty feet into this ore, I had to assist in hauling the 
iron ore and dirt away, when one day we were 
making a blast, I took the canister of powder 
from my employer, and went some twenty yards 
to a passage that went to the left, where I should 
be safe from the explosion. These explosions 



46 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

would reverberate in the passages so loud and long 
that I could not hear myself talk for some seconds 
after. 

I was in such haste to get away from danger that 
I left my corve. in the passage, which was only a 
trifle wider than the corve. The collier had light- 
ed the fuse, and was hastening away from the blast, 
when he came to my corve, by which he managed 
to squeeze himself ; but so enraged was he at my 
carelessness in leaving it in the way, that when he 
arrived where I was, he ordered me to go out and 
take my corve out of the way. I was afraid to go, 
and I was still more afraid to stay ; I turned to go, 
and had just got into the passage when the explo- 
sion took place, and one large piece of iron ore 
came with such force as to go through my corve, 
which was of iron, and I had just time to dodge 
back into the passage to the left, when it went past 
me with part of the corve. It was a terrible ex- 
plosion. The roof shook over our heads, and for 
some time I thought it would come down and bury 
us forever in the passage. We all stood trembling 
there while it thundered back and forth in the pas- 
sages. By the dim light of our candles I could 
see my employer's face, which was as pale as death. 
As the noise ceased, my employer said, " This 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 47 

won't do — it is too risky — we shall have to give it 
up. If I am not mistaken, we shall find that 
much of the roof is thrown down." We hastened 
towards where the blast was made, but we could 
not reach the place, as the roof had fallen in, and 
completely filled the passage so that we could not 
proceed. The " boss " came to the conclusion that 
it would not pay to work the mine, and by doing 
it, run the risk of life ; he therefore took me with 
the rest of the boys, and carried us to another 
mine a short distance from this one. 

From the new mine that I now worked in, there 
was a subterranean passage to the last one I work- 
ed, or the one we blasted, and I have often, with 
the other boys, gone through this passage to the 
mine. This passage was the means of saving my 
life, with that of my employer. One forenoon, a 
short time after I had commenced to work in this 
mine, as there was no coal to hoist out, the banks- 
man was away, and my employer and myself went 
into the mine alone, prospecting for coal. It was 
a muggy morning, the air damp and heavy, and we 
had been in the mine but a short time before the 
choke damp began to affect me some ; my candle 
flickered and went out. I ran to the collier, who 
was but a short distance from me, and told him 
that my light had gone out, and that I could not 



48 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

stand the damp. He began to rave and curse the 
damp, but while talking, his own light went out, 
and we were thus left in almost total darkness, ex- 
cepting the glimmering light that came down the 
shaft. The damp now began to affect my employ- 
er. " What shall we do ? " he asked. I took hold 
of the rope to ascend the shaft, but I was weak, 
my strength failed me. I was always expert in go- 
ing up a rope, and had many times ascended the 
shaft in this manner, but my hope was hoav cut off 
here. We cried out for help, but none came ! 
We were fast failing under the influence of this 
fell destroyer, when I thought of the subterranean 
passage ! " We are saved ! " I said. " What do 
you mean by saved ? " said my employer. " That 
our lives are saved. I know a passage that will 
carry us safely out, if I can find it in the dark- 
ness," I said. " Well, for God's sal<e," he exclaim- 
ed, " let us find it quick, for I can hardly stand ; " 
and turning at the same time toward me, I was 
frightened at the death-like paleness of his face, as 
a ray of light down the shaft flitted across it. 

"Follow me," I said, " and we will try ; " and 
upon our hands and knees ( the passage would not 
admit of standing erect), we groped our way 
along. There was a trap-door that opened into the 



. LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 49 

passage, and it was this that I wanted to find. I 
hurried along as fast as I could, (with a piece of 
rope tied to my waist, the end of which my em- 
ployer had hold of, afraid that unless he did, I 
should get off, and leave him to perish ) to find the 
trap-door. We groped in the darkness some dis- 
tance. Once or twice I struck my head against 
the roof with such force that it stunned me, and I 
fell flat upon the bottom of the passage ; but my 
employer coming up with me, would lift me up, 
and push me forward. Before reaching the trap- 
door, I knew that we must take a passage to the 
left, and I began to think that I had taken the 
wrong passage, and I was just on the point of turn- 
ing back when I came to the one to the left. As I 
turned the corner, 1 knew that I was but a short 
distance from the door, and hope revived — but I 
felt the rope tighten around my waist ! I turned 
and spoke to my employer, but received no answer. 
I hurried to where he was — he lay senseless upon 
the bottom of the passage ! I commenced to beat 
him with my fists, and to halloo in his ears : 
" Courage ! " I said, " I have found the door, in a 
few moments we shall be safe. Follow me ! " I 
hurried forward again, my employer following me, 
and soon came to the trap-door. I swung it open, 
and the fresh air rushing in, revived me, and I 



DO LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. . 

could not help falling upon my knees and thanking 
God for his care over me, and for our safe escape. 
I crept through the trap-door, and looked back for 
my employer, but he had fainted at the opening 01 
the door. I pulled him through, and shutting the 
door, ran to where some miners were at work, 
(this passage was high enough to stand erect), 
and got some water. I then hurried back, and 
dashing it in his face, soon had the pleasure of see- 
ing him recover. We walked out to the mouth of 
the passage, and sat down on the ground until we 
had fully recovered. 

My employer never went into the mines again, 
and as he did not want me any longer, he settled 
with me, and I went home to my grandparents. 
While at home, my grandfather was taken sick ; 
and this was his first and last sickness. He contin- 
ued, to fail for three weeks, and when near his end, 
I was in the room ; I never shall forget the scene. 
My uncle Edward stood near the foot of the bed, 
and he said to my grandmother, " He will never 
speak again !" My grandmother went to the head 
of the bed and said, " Jonas, how art thou ? " "I 
am happy ! I am happy ! " he said, and expired. 

This incident made a deep impression upon me. 
I had stood beside those who had died — who had 
no hope in Christ ; that had no hope beyond the 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 51 

grave, and when death came, they quailed before 
the grim messenger, and with bitter oaths and aw- 
ful groans, they left the earth. But how great the 
contrast between the death of the sinner and the 
Christian. Calmly and silently the Christian meets 
death, and feels happy to welcome him, knowing 
that to die and be with Christ is gain. 

I felt sad at the death of my grandfather, for I 
had been with him so long, that I felt that he was 
the same as a father to me. Although my grand- 
mother was spared, yet as she was poor, I thought 
that my uncle Edward would have the control over 
me, and this made me feel bad, for I knew that he 
drank hard, and oftentimes came home drunk, 
and would then abuse his family, sometimes driving 
them out of the house. I heard my grandmother 
pray for him, that he might give up the intoxicat- 
ing cup, and that he might be saved from the doom 
that awaits the drunkard. Oh ! the power of pray- 
er ! Who of us can tell its mighty influence ? 
When we shall stand at the judgment seat of 
Christ, then unfolded to us will be the mysteries 
that we cannot now comprehend. Then shall we 
more fully understand than we now do, the power 
there is in prayer. The centurion, when he asked 
Christ to heal his servant, said " Lord, I am not 
worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof; 



52 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

but speak the word only, and my servant shall be 
healed." Jesus said, " Go thy way ; and as thou 
hast believed, so be it done unto thee." It was the 
faith of the centurion that saved his servant. 
Think of this, ye Christians, who may peruse these 
lines, and remember that your prayer for the poor 
drunkard shall not be in vain. 

It was the custom then at funerals to have what 
is called a " funeral cake," and every one that goes 
into the house takes a piece of this cake as the re- 
mains of him that has passed away. I remember 
that my grandfather was carried to the Methodist 
church, where a sermon was preached ; from thence 
he was carried to the grave, and there the minister, 
dressed in black, made some remarks — spoke of 
my grandfather as being a consistent Christian, and 
of his adherence to the cause of Christ through 
difficulties and trials. The corpse was then lowered 
into the grave, and a hymn sung, and the company 
then went to the Dolphin Chapel Tavern, where 
they held a u funeral burial drinking," as it was 
termed. Each one that went paid one shilling, 
which money went to pay for the drink. They 
drank " mulled beer," and my uncle Edward drank 
so much that he got intoxicated, and had to be 
carried home. I drank with the rest of them. 

My grandmother now broke up housekeeping, 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 63 

and my uncle William took all the things, except- 
ing a loom that my grandmother kept to weave 
with. She tried to get along with weaving, so as 
to support herself and me ; hut we could not earn 
enough to support us, so my uncle William took 
me into his charge. 



54 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 



CHAPTER VI. 



My uncle Edward drove a team to the coal mines, 
and purchased coal, which he would haul to the 
village and sell. At the pit where he bought his 
coal, he got me work, and although I was unwilling 
to go to work in that mine, as I knew what a bad 
one it was, — passages very steep, so that the boys 
were in danger of being run over by their corves, 
and also bad water — yet he compelled me to go. 
The passage into the mines, (it was an inclined 
plane,) was just large enough to admit one corve 
with a little to spare. I could just squeeze by one. 
These corves had brakes fixed to the wheels to keep 
them from running over the boys when they went 
the down grade. The collier that I hired out with, 
was a tyrannical fellow. Working one day, lie 
thought I was gone too long with my corve, and 
when I came back, he began to curse and swear at 
me for having been gone so long. I told him that 
I went as quickly as I could, which enraged him, 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 55 

and he told me to come where he was, and help fill 
up the corve. The boys were not expected to 
shovel any coal, but sometimes when our corves 
were not full when we came back with the empty 
ones, we would help fill them. I went and took 
the shovel, and commenced to fill my corve, when 
my boss began to strike and kick me, saying, " I'll 
learn you better than to contradict me." I thought 
he would kill me ! My grandmother told me that 
when any person abused me, to tell them I was an 
orphan boy ; I therefore told him I was an orphan 
boy, and when I told him this, he coased abusing 
me. I was not able to work the rest of the day, 
but he made me. When night came, I hurried 
home and told my grandmother how my employer 
had treated me ; but all she could do was to pray 
for me, which she did earnestly, and I still kept to 
work in the mine. A short time after my master 
had abused me so badly, I was going into the mine, 
when the brake slipped off my wheel, and as I 
could not hold it from going down the passage, I 
had to run as fast as I could before it, until at a 
turn in the passage, it struck against me, jamming 
my head severely. I crawled up and got upon a 
loaded corve, as it was drawn up the passage, un- 
known to my employer, and jumped off, and hur- 
ried home. When my uncle went to the mines 



5G LTFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

after coal, my employer told him that I had run 
away home. My uncle then went to the house and 
came into my grandmother's room, with a whip in 
his hand, and ordered me to go back to the mine. 
I showed him the bruises on my head, and told 
him how it was caused, and that I was not able to 
go back ; he would pay no regard to my explana- 
tions, but ordered me back to the mine. I ran 
behind my grandmother's loom, and my uncle 
came towards me with the whip. My grandmother 
entreated him not to strike me, but he paid no at- 
tention to her entreaties, but struck me with the 
whip, and told me, that unless I went back to the 
mines, he would horsewhip me. I started for the 
mines, and he followed, and when he came up to 
me, would cut me with the whip ; thus was I com- 
pelled, although bruised badly, to go back and 
work in the mines. 

I continued working in this mine about one 

month; I then went to L to work for nine 

shillings a week; it was four miles from home. My 
uncle now had no control over me. This mine 
was near " Pickle's Gate," and near by was an old 
building that was reported to be haunted, and that 
many murders had been committed there. My 
uncle William was a weaver by trade, but business 
became dull, and lie was thrown out of employ- 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 57 

ment, and came to work as brakeman on a coal- 
car, where I was ; and wishing to get Ills family 
near him, he went, to see if he could not get a ten- 
ement to live in. He went to the owner of the old 
building, as lie was ignorant of the stories about it, 
and the owner told him that he might have the 
rent free if he would occupy it. My uncle thought 
that it was a generous offer, and he immediately 
moved his family into the old building, and as it 
was some distance to my grandmother's, I went to 
board with him. 

When we came home nights from work, the child- 
ren would tell us that they had heard strange nois- 
es in the house, and they seemed to be very frighten- 
ed, and very loth to stay alone. In this manner it 
passed on several days, when one night, as my un- 
cle and myself were returning from our work, we 
approached the old house, my uncle said to me, 
" I see a light in the cellar window." u I guess 
not," I said, " the girls don't go clown cellar." 
But he still persisted that he saw a light, and hast- 
ening towards the house, we went up the stairway, 
which was on the outside of the building, and 
opening the door, the children were all there wait- 
ing our coming. " Have any of you been down 
stairs with a light ?" my uncle asked. They replied 
that they had not. The building was out of re- 



58 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

pair, and the only part that was tenan table was 
the second story. My uncle told us to wait for 
him, and taking a lantern, he started for the cellar. 
He found the stairway that led to the cellar, and 
passing noiselessly down the rotten stairs with his 
lantern shaded, he saw a light issuing from the 
key-hole of the cellar door ; and stooping down, he 
looked through, and saw not more than ten feet 
from him, four men, one standing up, while the 
others were seated around on boxes, dressed like 
citizens, with the exception of a three-cornered 
cap which they had on. As my uncle was looking 
through, one spoke, and said to the person that was 
standing up, " Captain, I'll tell you what it is, I'm 
not going to risk my life any longer ; now there's 
them young ones up stairs poking around ; the 
first thing we know, we shall be caged." 

" Well, Jim," said the captain, " we must do 
something. You know I've sent a man here a 
dozen times to make a noise, and scare the children, 
and get them out of the house ; but hang me if 
they don't stick like a leech. Jones, there is that 
lantern again ; this is the second time you have let 
light strike the window ; suppose some one was 
passing." 

" Don't be scared," said Jones, " the window is 
boarded up." 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 59 

" Well, the light might be seen by some one 
pacing, if it is boarded up," said the captain. — 
" But to go on. I'll tell you, Jim. That fellow 
up stairs is some kin to me, and I don't like to re- 
sort to harsh measures ; but kin or no kin, if he 
don't leave soon, we will take some measure to re- 
move him. But come, boys, we must be off, we 
have got a job, you know, to-night ; " and upon 
this, they went to the farthest side of the cellar, 
and opening a door, they passed out. My uncle 
was not naturally a timid man, but he felt rather 
uneasy as he overheard them talk so coolly of re- 
moving him out of the way ; and then the captain 
said he was some kin to him, — he could not think 
of any person that was related to him that followed 
such a profession for a living. For some time he 
was lost in meditation, but arousing, he thought of 
his children who needed his care. He turned and 
hastened up stairs, where we were anxiously await- 
ing his coming. We eagerly asked him what he 
had seen ; but he told us that he would relate the 
circumstances to us in the morning. After sup- 
per, he told us to go to bed, while he kept watch 
over us. The next day at the breakfast table he 
told us the whole story, and that day he moved his 
family back to the old house. 



60 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

The fire-damp was in the mines that I now work- 
ed in. carbureted hydrogen gas that issues from 
veins in the mines. Tomlinson's Cyclopedia says : 

" The great and terrible scourge that distin- 
guishes coal mines, and especially those of the 
great northern coal-field, is the escape of large 
quantities of fire-damp, which, mingling with the 
air of the mine in certain proportions, forms a mix- 
ture that explodes on contact with flame. This 
gas is much lighter than common air, and mingles 
readily with it, and when poured out into the work- 
ings, moves along with the ventilating current in 
the direction of the upcast shaft. The quantity of 
gas thus poured out is considerable, but subject to 
great variations, some seams being more fiery or 
full of gas than others ; and in working these fiery 
seams, it is not uncommon for a jet of inflamma- 
ble gas to issue from every hole made for the gun- 
powder used in blasting. The gas issues from 
these cavities with considerable noise, and forms 
what is termed blowers. These blowers are some- 
times so constant in their action that the gas is col- 
lected and conveyed by a tube into the upcast 
shaft, continuing for months or years to pour out 
hundreds or thousands of hogsheads of fire-damp 
per minute. When thus provided for, the blowers 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 61 

arc not necessarily a source of danger; but when 
one of these reservoirs, containing the pent-up gas 
of centuries, and consequently under an enormous 
pressure, is suddenly broken open, the gas is set 
free in torrents, and mingling with the air of the 
mine, forms an explosive mixture which the first 
spark or naked flame may ignite, and thus cause a 
fearful destruction, both of life and property. Nor 
is the explosion itself always the thing to be dread- 
ed most ; for the ignition of the fire-damp kindles 
the coal-dust which always exists in great quanti- 
ties in the passages, and, in a moment, causes the 
mine to glow like a furnace. This conflagration is 
succeeded by vast columns of carbonic acid gas, or 
choke-damp, as it is emphatically called, from its 
suffocating nature, and this destroys those whom 
the explosion had spared." 

Near the mine that I worked in, was a small 
stream of water, and I have often built a dam so as 
to stop the flow of the water, and when it had run 
off below the dam, touch the bottom with a lighted 
candle, and instantly the whole bed of the stream 
would be in a flame. One morning there were two 
men going down the shaft with a lighted rope's end, 
when the blaze touched a vein of fire-damp, and it 
caused a terrible explosion, blowing the landing 



62 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

boards to the top of the shaft, and the two men some 
fifty feet into the air, and the men were killed in- 
stantly. 

This sad accident made me somewhat afraid of 
the coal mines, and I made up my mind not to 
work in them any more. I went home to my grand- 
mother and told her of the awful accident that took 
place at the mine I worked in, and the conclusion 
I had come to, of not working in the mines again 
on any condition whatever. My uncle set me to 
weaving on a " Jacquard " loom. I was now about 
13 years old. I worked with my uncle a few months, 
but as I could not make enough to support me, I 
left and went to Bradford, about four miles distant, 
to work with a man named Ackroid, weaving. I 
soon left this man and went to work for his brother, 
who agreed to give me my board and clothes for my 
labor. He was a great drinking man. I had heard 
of him before I went to Bradford, and if I could 
have done better elsewhere, I would not have work- 
ed with him. He used to bring liquor to his house, 
where he would sometimes treat me to a drink ; but 
as he was very snug I was not treated often, but lie 
and his wife would both get drunk together. I 
used to work hard for this man, and earned him 
fifteen shillings a week, and all I received was my 
board ; and as for my clothes that he was to furnish 



LIFE OP ISAAC TV. AMBLER. 63 

me, all I got were second-hand articles that had 
seen their best days. 

I went home every Saturday night to see my 
grandmother, and one Saturday night I found her 
sick ; but Monday morning I had to leave her, and 
with tears in her eyes she bade me farewell, and 
told me to remember the counsel she had given 
me, and be sure and not go into the army, (this 
she had many times before entreated me not to do,) 
and saying that she should never see me again, she 
bade me farewell, as she supposed, and which after- 
wards proved forever. I had to leave, although I 
thought that I should never see her again alive. I 
went back sorrowful, and stayed until the next Sat- 
urday night, then I hurried home, or to my grand- 
mother's. I found my grandmother dead ; she died 
on the same day of the month that my grandfather 
did. She was buried Sunday, and I stopped to the 
funeral and followed her to the grave. I saw her 
in the coffin, but I did not weep. I had passed 
through so many scenes that my heart was harden- 
ed. Her remains were carried to Dolphin Chapel, 
and a funeral sermon preached, where just one year 
before, I listened to my grandfather's. Her remains 
were then carried to the grave, and as they lowered 
her down into the ground, the tears began to flow, 



64 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

and I thought, now I have the wide world before 
me — all my kindred that loved me are gone, and 
all I love, — now my home is wherever I may roam. 
No kind friends will weep at my departure ; no 
friendly tear be shed ; but henceforth I am a wan- 
derer. But I thought of what my grandmother 
often told me, that God was a father to the orphan, 
and that if I loved Him, he would never forsake me. 
"When I went back to the mill I often thought of 
those words, and prayed that God would take care 
of me, and oftentimes, when drinking with a friend, 
the pale face of my grandmother would seem to 
come up to reprove me. 

About one month after my grandmother's death, 
I was playing with some boys in the mill-yard, and 
was thrown down and broke my wrist. I wrapped 
it around with my apron, and went to my employ- 
er's house. I was afraid to go in, and I therefore 
sat down on the door step. My employer's wife 
saw me there, but did not take any notice of me, 
although I was crying ; but one of the boarders, 
named Daniel Sharp, (may God bless him for his 
kindness to me at that time,) asked me what I was 
crying about. I told him that I had broken my 
wrist, and did not know what to do, and here I 
burst into tears. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 05 

"Don't cry, sonny," he said, " we will get it fixed 
up; come with me ;" and taking me by the hand, 
we started off to find a surgeon to set my wrist ; 
we went a short distance, and Sharp led me into a 
physician's office. " Ah ! " said the surgeon, " whom 
have we here ?" 

" A poor hoy, who has broken his wrist, and 
wishes it attended to," said Sharp. 

"You must seek some other place," said the 
surgeon, " as I have a call to make immediately ; 
good day," he said, and advancing towards us, 
he fairly compelled us to go out the door, and de- 
liberately shut it in our faces. 

" Blast his pictur," said Sharp, " I had a good 
mind to have knocked the contemptible puppy down 
— the old snipe is rich as mud, and snug as an 
oyster ; he knew at a glance that it was'nt- a pay- 
ing job, and he took that method to get rid of us ; 
but cheer up, -we will try again." 

Sharp led me rapidly by shops and streets un- 
til we stopped by a stairway. " There," he said, 
" we will try here, and see what we can do ;" and 
leading me up the steps, he opened a door, and 
walked into a room where there was a pleasant 
looking man, who bowed, and arose at our entrance. 
I felt cheered by his pleasant look, and thought my 



66 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLEK. 

journey was over. " Dr. Jameson, I believe," said 
Sharp. 

" That is my name," said the occupant ; " can I 
do anything for you to-day ?" 
, " Can you set this youngster's wrist ?" 

! " Yes, I " but here he stopped, for a girl 

came hastily in, and handed him a note, over which 
the doctor hurriedly looked, and said, " Must I go 
immediately ?" 

" That was my mistress's request," said the girl. 

"Well, I suppose I must go;" and turning to 
Sharp, said, " Sorry that I cannot attend to the boy, 
hut you see this is one of my patients, and I must 
attend to the case immediately." 

Sharp said not a word, but pulling me along, 
hurried out of the office and down the stairs. 

" Well, my son," he said to me, " arc you 
tired?" 

" I am not tired of walking," I -said, " but my 
arm pains me." 

" Well, we will try again ;" and hurrying me 
across the street, he entered a druggist's store, and 
addressing the clerk who stood behind the counter, 
" Is the surgeon within ? " 

" You will find him in the rear of the store," he 
said, pointing to the back part of the shop. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 67 

We passed through into an office, in which was 
a man with the most forbidding countenance I ever 
beheld. Not giving us a chance to speak, he said, 
" I am very busy, you see, just now — had to turn 
three patients away," and looking sharply at me, 
said, " Poor, I see, t'wont do. I can't afford to 
lose my time. " Here, John," he said, opening 
the office door, " just fix that compound." Then 
turning to us, he continued ; " You see how it is, I 
am dreadfully drove compounding, at present." 
He stood with his sleeves rolled up, with a spatula 
in one hand, scales in front, on a table, while vari- 
ous colored powders were heaped around. 

"Anew discovery, — entirely new; cures bron- 
chitis immediately, upon two applications ; one ap- 
plication effectually removes warts, and four de- 
stroys the bites or stings of the most venomous 
animal. How many boxes will you have?" lie 
said, addressing Sharp. 

" I don't want a single box ; I want this boy's 
wrist set," said Sharp. 

The compounder did not pay any attention to 
what Sharp said, but seemed to be absorbed in mix- 
ing the different powders. 

"There, it is finished," he continued, and taking 
a small wooden box, he filled it up, and handing 



68 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

it to Sharp, said, " there, friend, you need not be 
afraid of corns." 

" Well, I am not afraid of corns, not by a d d 

sight," said Sharp. 

" Hold on," said the surgeon, " let me explain ; 
as I said before, you need not be afraid of corns with 
that box in your pocket ; it is a sure cure if ap- 
plied immediately." 

" Hang your corn powders ; I want this boy's 
wrist set, which is broken," said Sharp. 

At this point of the conversation, I noticed the 
clerk beckoning us to come out, and I pulled Sharp 
out into the shop. 

" He is out of his head, poor fellow ; he runs all 
on compounding; good joke, aint it?" said the 
clerk. 

We thought it was a poor joke, and went out ; 
by this we were delayed half an hour. 

" Now, sonny," Sharp said, " I will go with you 
until we get some one to attend to your wrist." 

We again went a short distance, and he took me 
into another surgeon's office, where there was an 
elderly man, with spectacles on. "Hurt?" he said. 

" Yes, a broken wrist," said Sharp. " Can you 
attend to it ? " 

" Have you anything to pay, for attending to it ? " 
said the surgeon, seeing we were dressed poorly. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 69 

" This is a poor boy, whom I found in the road 
crying. 1 suppose that he has nothing to pay with. 
I am sure I have not," said Sharp. 

" You must take him to the Infirmary ; they will 
attend to him there, though you will want a cer- 
tificate. Let me see," and taking off my apron he 
examined my wrist, somewhat to my discomfiture, 
after which he wrote a line on a piece of paper. 
" There," he said, u you will want two more names. 
Let me see, I will give you the address of two of 
the nearest surgeons." And writing them down 
on the back of the small slip of paper, he handed it 
to Sharp. 

We thanked him, and then went out to find the 
two surgeons to get their names, which we accom- 
plished without much difficulty. We went to the 
Infirmary, and I had my wrist set, and then I went 
to my employer's house. I remained out of the 
mill three weeks, and then I went to work again 
with one hand in a sling. 



70 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 



CHAPTER VII. 



One Saturday night, a short time after my wrist 
had regained its strength, I went to see my uncle 
William and stopped until Monday morning, when 
I arose early and started for my work. I had gone 
but a short distance below Dolphin Chapel, when I 
saw something black blow across the road. I went 
and picked it up, and found it to be a muff. I took 
it along with me until I came to the tavern at the 
foot of Beacon Hill, that I have referred to before, 
and went in. Two men were playing cards in the 
bar-room, and one said, " What have you got there ?" 
as I held the muff up. I told him that it was a 
muff I had found but a short distance from the 
tavern. He took and examined it, after which he 
asked me how much I would take for it. I replied 
that I did not know how much it was worth, and 
that I did not know as I had any right to sell it, as 
it was not mine to sell. The man lauehed, and told 



LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 71 

me as I had found it, it was mine, and that he 
would give me a half a crown for it. I told him 
lie might have it, as I did not know the worth of it, 
which I afterwards learned was twenty-five dollars, 
or five pounds. But as fifty cents was more money 
than I ever had of my own at any one time, I 
quickly took up the offer that he made me, and then 
went to my work. 

The next day there came out a notice in the pa- 
pers of a highway robbery having been committed 
at such a place, and a reward offered for the recov- 
ery of a muff, &C. The same day, two constables 
came into the mill where I was at work, and carried 
me to Bradford jail, and put me in a small, damp, 
dark cell, and kept me in that miserable place three 
days and nights, (and long ones they were to me, 
being unused to stopping in such places) to answer 
to the charge of highway robbery. Not quite 14 
years of age, what a precocious youth I must have 
been to stop a carriage with a gentleman and lady, 
and demand their money ! How sad I felt to be 
confined in a jail, and for nothing that I had done 
to deserve it. But I was cheered by. the thought, 
that as I was innocent of the crime, and that they 
could not sustain the charge, that I should neces- 
sarily be freed. But how mistaken I was. I have 



72 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

learned by bitter experience since, that the inno- 
cent- often suffer in this world, while the guilty go 
free. On the forenoon of the fourth day I was 
brought before the magistrate, to answer to the 
charge against me of highway robbery. The gen- 
tleman and lady appeared against me, but could 
not swear that I was the robber ; yet, circumstan- 
tial evidence, the finding of the muff at the tavern, 
my selling it for half a crown, was so strong against 
me that the charge was sustained, and I was or- 
dered to be confined in jail three weeks, until the 
session of court. My heart sank within me when 
I heard the decision, and I seemed to feel that every 
one was against me. The next morning an officer 
came and handcuffed me, and took me from my 
cell. I was glad to get out of it, supposing that I 
could not get into a worse one, but I was mistaken. 
I was carried eighteen miles to Wakefield jail, the 
worst prison in England, and was there shown into 
a large room, where I was told to strip. They then 
brought me a shirt, a pair of pants, with yellow, 
black and green stripes, — one leg of which was 
some inches shorter than the other ; then a vest, 
the original color of which could not be determined, 
and to finish, a pair of clogs, which were so large 
that I could step into them ; and after being rigged 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 73 

up in this stylo, I was told to look in the glass. I 
was somewhat startled at the change effected in 
my appearance, in so short a time. I was general- 
ly called decent looking, but I had undergone such 
a transmogrification, that I do not think crows 
would have ever troubled a cornfield with such a 
figure as I was, stuck up in the center of it. Af- 
ter having my head shaved, I was taken to a miser- 
able cell, with a small cot in it, where I was told to 
make myself at home, and the officer went out and 
locked the door after him. 

I looked around the room to see what I could do 
to pass away the time. The cell was about sev- 
en by nine, and my cot occupied one corner, 
while in another was a jug of water ; these were 
all there were in the cell. Through a small grated 
window, the light came in, and by pulling my cot 
along underneath it, I could look out and see the 
boys and girls playing on the common. It was in 
the spring of the year, and all was beautiful, and 
never before did the earth, the sky, the flowers, and 
the trees look so fair as they did to me, as I gazed 
out of that grated window ! 

Everything seemed to be at liberty .but me, and 

I was confined in prison, and for what ? I tried to 

think what I was there for, but I could give no 

other reason than that of finding a muff, and sell- 
4 



74 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

ing it for fifty cents. As I would ponder the mat- 
ter over in my mind, it would cause my blood to 
boil with indignation, and my evil passions would 
be aroused, and a spirit of revenge would be en- 
kindled within me ! When I was liberated, I would 
seek out the man who appeared against me, and 
kill him. And then again, I would think of the 
words that my grandmother used to read to me out 
of the old Bible ; " Do good to them that despite- 
fully use you," — " Love your enemies ;" and when 
these thoughts would come over me, how it would 
still my troubled mind, and quiet my angry pas- 
sions. Then 1 would gaze from my window, and 
as the gentle breeze bore to my ear the merry 
laughter of the boys and girls on the common, the 
tears would course down my cheeks, and I would 
wish that I was dead. " Why is it," I said to my- 
self, " that every person seems to be against me, and 
that I am spared to be thus persecuted, while other 
boys have all the privileges and enjoyments of life ? 
I have as much right to them as they." It seemed 
as if I was indeed battling against the world — all 
against me. How unequal a warfare it is indeed, 
I thought. Thus I thought as I walked the floor, 
and rushing to my cot, I tried to drown my 
thoughts in slumber. I sunk into a drowse, but 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 75 

Bay mind was as active as ever. It seemed as if I 
was upon a high precipice, beside the ocean, and 
was opposing a foe that L could not perceive, whose 
folds seemed to entwine around me, which I sought 
in every way to elude, but found myself completely 
ill his control. With superhuman efforts, I en- 
deavored to break from his grasp, but after a vain 
struggle, I sank exhausted to the earth. My 
strength returning, I arose to renew the contest, 
but it seemed as if my strength was nothing, com- 
pared with the monster; but by a lucky blow, I 
laid the monster prostrate at my feet, it seemed ; 
but as I turned to hasten from the spot, a strong, 
irresistible power detained me, and turn which 
way I would, it seemed to meet me. The ocean 
was behind ; I turned towards this — no power de- 
tained me ! Death, I thought, is better than bat- 
tling with an unseen foe ; and springing from the 
bluff, I went through the air at a frightful speed — 
down ! down ! I went, until I plunged deep into 
the surging billows ! I sprang from my cot, shiver- 
ing ! Thank Clod, it is all a dream ! But what a 
frightful one ! It was a singular dream to me. 
Should I heed it ? I thought before the dream, 
that there was one way for me to make my escape, 
and that was to tale my life ; but I had not the 



76 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

courage to think of it now. My dream had broken 
the foolish train of thoughts. It seemed to be tho 
voice of a superior being that spoke to me through 
this singular and timely dream. It was dark when 
I laid down upon my cot, but now the morning 
light came into the window. " Thank God," I said 
to myself, " that my grandmother is not alive, and 
that I have no friends to lament my condition ; but 
that I alone must bear it ! " In this state I contin- 
ued through the day. The next day was rainy, 
and it did not seem to be so dreary within, as it 
was disagreeable without ; but towards night, the 
clouds parted, and the sun shone out in all its 
splendor, and the dew-drops on the trees glistened 
like diamonds. 

I felt sad now, and miserable, to be thus depriv- 
ed of the common blessings of life ! Never do we 
know how to prize them until we are deprived of 
them. The liberty to rove over the earth, under 
the broad canopy of heaven, with the whole face 
of na/ture before us, — to enjoy all its beauties, — to 
feel the invigorating breeze, and to experience that 
enjoyment and pleasure that he alone can feel who 
is at liberty ! Why had I not died years ago, rath- 
er than to be left here with none to care for me, 
and none to love me ? Would that I were buried 
beside my mother in the grave, and covered over 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 77 

with the cold sods of earth, for how much better 
would it be than to live, if I am freed at last, sus- 
pected and shunned by all around me ! How shall 
I go into the world again, although innocent as I 
am, will the world believe it ? I shall be pro- 
nounced guilty, and be ashamed to look the people 
in the face as I pass them on the street, for 
wherever I may go, this deed which I have not done, 
but for which I am pronounced guilty, will meet 
me, and I shall be pointed at with the finger of 
scorn. Oh, how often I prayed that God would 
take me from the world ! 

In this manner I passed three long weeks. One 
morning I was taken from the prison, and in com- 
pany with twenty-one others, carried to Pomfret, 
all of us chained together as criminals. I was the 
smallest of the company. We were carried in a 
horse-car, huddled together like cattle, and when 
we arrived at Pomfret, we were put into a large 
cell, or room under ground, and straw thrown 
down for us to sleep upon. The next morning 
they commenced to take out the prisoners, to be 
tried for the crimes declared against them, each 
one in his order. Every one that went out before 
me was sentenced from four to twenty-one years to 
Tan Dieman's Land. What a dreadful scene it 



78 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

was to witness the agony of the poor fellows, and 
some of them, I have no doubt, were as innocent 
of the crimes charged upon them as I was ! A 
blacksmith welded an iron ring around the ankle 
of those that were to be transported, as soon as 
they came back. As I saw the poor fellows return, 
I thought that my time would come soon, and I 
expected to get transported with the rest. I re- 
mained in this miserable hole three days before my 
turn came, and then I was called out. I was 
handcuffed and taken to the court-house, — my 
handcuffs taken off, my crime read against me for 
committing highway robbery at such a time and 
place, and after this was read to me, I was asked, 
" Guilty or not guilty ? " I did not know the 
meaning of guilty, and while. I stood looking at 
the people around, a gentleman told me to say, 
" Not Guilty," which I did ; but if he had told 
me to say " Guilty," I should have said it as 
quickly. I was then asked if I had any counsel- 
or, or any friends to speak for me. A very right- 
eous inquiry, — confined three weeks in jail, and 
seeing no one in all that time to speak to, but the 
man who brought me my food. I Avas asked if T 
had anything to say for myself. I told them that 
I did not do the deed that was charged against me, 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 79 

— that I was going to my work when I saw the 
muff blow across the road, and that I picked it up 
and carried it to the tavern, and there I sold it for 
fifty cents to a man in the bar-room, as I was igno- 
rant of its value — that I had no friends, neither 
father nor mother, sister nor brother, grandmother 
nor grandfather, and that I was alone in the world. 
This T told with tears in my eyes, which created 
much feeling for me. Witnesses were called, but 
the gentleman did not appear against me to sustain 
the charge, and I have no doubt but that he felt 
ashamed of the part he had taken in the matter, 
and therefore dropped it where it was. I never be- 
lieved that they had a muff stolen from them, but 
to raise an excitement, he advertised the muff in 
the manner he did, having no idea that it would 
be carried so far. As no one appeared against me, 
I was taken to the room underground, and kept 
there that day, but as no one appeared, I was lib- 
erated the next morning. 

How happy I felt when I got into the world 
again ! I went into a large public square, and 
there I told a man that I had just got out of pris- 
on, and had no money, nor friends to apply to for 
help, and that I was some thirty-six miles from the 
place where I worked. He told me to go back to 



80 LTFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

the court-house, and tell them my condition. I 
wont back as he told me, and stated my case, and 
was given eighteen pence, or one halfpenny a mile, 
to carry me back to my employers. The first thing 
I did after I received the money was to go into a 
shop where they sold pies and cakes, and get some- 
thing to eat ; I spent about one-half my money — 
filled my pockets and hands full of cakes, and 
started on my journey. It was a beautiful morn- 
ing, and the road was a fine one, and for some dis- 
tance trees were upon both sides, which completely 
shaded it. Before I had gone two miles, I had 
eaten all my cakes, but I soon came to a small vil- 
lage, and I here invested the balance of my money 
in eatables, and these I ate up before I had gone 
much farther. Feeling tired, I sat down beside 
the road until I saw a man coming in a wagon, 
and as he came opposite, I asked him if he would 
let me ride a short distance with him : he gave his 
consent, and stopped his horse, and I clambered 
into the back part of the wagon. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 81 



CHAPTER VIII. 



I jogged along with this man about seven miles, 
and rested me some, though I could have walked 
the same distance in about the same time, when, 
having arrived at his home, I thanked him, and got 
out of the wagon, and continued on my journey. 
It was getting towards noon, and I began to feel 
hungry. I had no money nor friends to apply to, 
and I therefore came to the conclusion to beg. I 
saw a small neat looking house but a short distance 
before me, and thought I would try and get some- 
thing to eat ; so opening the gate, I went up to the 
house, and knocked at the door. It was opened 
by a pleasant looking woman, and I asked her if 
she would give me something to eat. 

" Where you from, my boy ?" she asked. 

What should I do ? I hesitated before speaking, 
but at length I told her that I had just got out of 
prison, where I had been wrongfully kept by a false 
4* 



82 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

charge made against me, — thinking it was best to 
tell the truth. 

"Come in," she said; "you shall have enough 
to eat. I am glad you told me the whole story, 
and I believe it, because a boy would not be likely 
to tell anything like that, unless it was true, and 
I believe you are innocent." 

She carried me into a room, and setting a chair 
beside a table, told me to seat myself there, while 
she went to get me something to eat. I sat down 
iu the chair, and she soon returned with a bounti- 
ful supply of provisions, and set them before me. 
After I had eaten my fill, I thanked her for her 
kindness, and was going out of the door, when she 
said these words : " Always tell the truth, under 
whatever circumstances you may be placed, my 
lad ; and remember that God can always bring you 
safely out, no matter how dark and discouraging it 
may look." 

I was somewhat astonished at these words ! She 
probably had divined my thoughts, while I was hes- 
itating what to say, when I stood upon the door- 
step. This was a lesson that I did not soon forget, 
and it made a good and lasting impression upon 
me. I hurried on my way, strengthened and en- 
couraged by the pleasant words, as well as the food 
that the woman had been kind enough to give me. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 83 

I passed some small villages on my way, and to- 
wards night I came to quite a large place, and as I 
was tired, I thought I had better try and get some 
place to stop all night. I went up to a house and 
asked a man there if he would put me up that 
night, but I was repulsed ; he said he did not want 
strange boys in his house, as he did not know who 
they were, — they might set his house on fire in the 
night. I asked him if he would let me stop in his 
barn. 

" Xo, I will not let any one sleep there ; I would 
not risk my stock, hay, and carriages ; why, 1 
might have them all burned up ! " 

I turned away from his door, and left him, to try 
and find some person more hospitable. I looked 
around to see where I should go, and noticed a 
fine house that sat in back from the street, and I 
thought to myself, I will go in and see what I can 
do ; I therefore opened the gate to enter, when I 
heard a gruff voice from the grounds, in front of 
the house, which arrested my progress. " We do 
not allow strange boys to come in here, so you may 
go out." 

I found that I had got into the wrong place, and 
hurried out. On the opposite side of the road, was 
rather a poor looking house ; I will try here, I 



8J: LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

thought, and see if I can make out any better ; and 
entering the gate, I went up to the house, and rapped 
at the door. A little girl came, and kindly asked 
me to come in. I told her that I was hungry, and 
ashed her if she would give me something to eat, 
and let me stop there that night. She asked me to 
come into the house, and she would speak to her 
mother, who was at work in the garden. I went 
in and sat down, while the girl went out to call her 
mother, who soon came in ; and while she stopped 
to wash in the entry, I heard her remark, " Poor 
boy ! he looks hungry and tired ! Come, my 
daughter, set something on the table for him, and 
always remember to ' Do unto others as ye would 
that others should do unto you.' " Those words, 
how often I had heard them said before, — strange, 
I thought, this woman should repeat them. The 
girl hastily complied with her mother's request, 
and placed before me good healthy food, to which 
I did ample justice. 

After eating, I asked the woman if she would 
let me stay all night in the house, telling her that 
I would sleep on the floor. 

" I will let you stay," she said, " but you may 
sleep on a bed." 

" But, madam, I am a stranger to you, and I 
have been turned away from two places ; and in 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 85 

one place, I asked the man to let me sleep in his 
barn, but he would not." 

" I know how to pity the unfortunate, and I al- 
ways remember in mercy those that have no shelter 
at night — no pillow to lay their heads upon. My 
husband," she continued, " is a soldier, and I am a 
soldier's wife ; and no one that seeks shelter of me 
shall be turned from the door as long as I have a 
shelter to cover me." 

" God bless you, madam," I ejaculated, before I 
was aware of it. 

" But I suppose that you are tired, and if you 
will follow me, I will show you where you can 
sleep;" and leading the way into the attic, she 
pointed me to a neat bed, and bidding me good 
night, left me. I slept sweetly that night, and when 
I awoke, the sun was just rising. I arose and 
dressed myself, and went down stairs, and found 
the good woman was up, and that the little girl 
was setting the table. I noticed three plates on 
the table, and I could not help wondering who the 
third plate was for, as I saw but two persons in the 
house ; but I took my cap, and telling the woman 
that I would hurry along, I thanked her, and was 
going out of the door, when she called me back, 
and said, 



86 LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

" You must have some breakfast ; what we have, 
you are entirely welcome to." 

I took off my cap and sat down to the table, and 
ate my breakfast with them. I then knew for whom 
the third plate was put on the table — it was for 
me. I finished my breakfast, and thanking the 
woman for her kindness, I took my leave, and con- 
tinued my journey. I had some fourteen miles to 
travel to reach Bradford, and I thought I would 
try and go that distance without asking for any- 
thing to eat on the way ; but when I had gone half 
the distance, I felt faint and tired, and I sat down 
beside the road to recover myself. I rested about 
half an hour, and then resumed my journey, but I 
felt hungry. I had been kept so poorly while I was 
confined in the jail, that I could now hardly re- 
strain my appetite. I found that I must beg some- 
thing to eat, and as the nearest house was a large 
brick one, I felt rather backward about asking for 
anything there, but my appetite was clamoring 
loudly, and I hastened up to the house, and rang 
a bell ; the door was opened by a portly gentleman. 

" Will you give me something to eat ? " I said 
timidly. He stared at me for some time, and then 
remarked, 

" We do not encourage beggars here," and shut 
the door in my face. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLEE. 87 

I could not do anything better than leave, which 
I quickly did. I might have known better than to 
call there, I said to myself, it is not the large 
houses where the people have large hearts, but the 
small ones. So intent was I with my thoughts, 
that I did not see a boy at my side, until he said, 
" I overheard the talk you had with that man ; 
come with me to my mother's, and you shall have 
as much as you want." Taking me by the hand, 
he fairly ran with me along the street, until he 
came to a small, neat looking house, with a yard 
in front, filled with flowers. " Here is where my 
mother lives," he said. 

" Have you no father ? " I asked. 

" No," he replied, " my father has been dead 
a number of years. I have a sister and a kind 
mother." 

We had now reached the house, and opening the 
door, he pulled me in where his mother was sewing. 

" Mother," he said, running up to her, while I 
stood by the door, " here is a poor boy that wants 
something to eat." 

" Well, my son," she said, " he shall have some- 
thing ; " and then addressing me, said, " Come and 
sit up by the table, and I will give you some food." 

I sat down to the table, and eagerly ate what she 



88 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

sat before me, as I was very hungry. I answered 
the many questions she asked, and having finished, 
arose and expressed my thanks to her for her 
kindness, and went on my way 

I was hut a short distance from Bradford, as the 
woman had told me ; I therefore hurried on as 
fast as I could, and soon arrived there. I felt 
somewhat afraid to go to my old employer, and 
therefore went to a woman that I knew, who kind- 
ly gave me something to eat, and I stopped there 
that night. I arose early, and went to another 
mill, and got work. I had worked here but a 
short time, before my old employer came for me, 
and I went to work with him again. 

A short time after, there was a riot, occasioned 
by reducing the wages of the help employed in the 
mills. Some of the men plugged the boilers, let- 
ting the steam off, so that the mills stopped. A 
great crowd collected near the counting-house, and 
began to throw brickbats through the windows. 
The 17th company of Lancers was called out, and 
a man standing near me threw a brick-bat which 
struck one of the horse soldiers, who immediately 
wheeled his horse, and dashed out of the ranks, 
and chased the man into the river, over which lie 
swam, and saved his life, 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 89 

The crowd not dispersing, the riot act was read, 
and they were then commanded to disperse imme- 
diately ; but not obeying, the Lancers made an at- 
tack, riding down many ; and the people finding 
that they would be killed, unless they dispersed, 
went to their homes. I was with William Ackroid 
at that time, and we went to our boarding house. 
He worked in the same mill that I did, and we 
were in the habit of going down into the firing- 
room, where the boilers were, and talking with the 
men. One day I went into the room that Ackroid 
worked in, and asked him to go with me down into 
the firing-room. He said that he would go present- 
ly, and I waited a short time for him, when we 
both went down together. There were two boilers 
in this room, but only one was in use, as the other 
was undergoing repairs, and one boiler drove the 
whole mill. As we were going into the firing-room, 
the fireman spoke to some men that were in there, 
and said that he was afraid that- the boiler would 
burst, and advised them to come out, but the} 7 " only 
laughed at him. The words had .hardly escaped 
his lips, before the boiler did burst. Ackroid and 
myself, upon hearing the words that the fireman 
uttered, had stopped outside the firing-room. There 
were in the room three men and a boy, besides 
two masons who were repairing the furnace. One 



90 LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

of the men escaped by a trap-door, the others, in- 
haling the hot steam, immediately ran out into the 
street, and dropped down, and were then taken by 
some men and carried to the Infirmary. The two 
masons that were repairing the furnace had to 
walk through water boiling hot, that was a foot in 
depth, to get out of the room. These two men 
were carried, also, to the Infirmary. I was in the 
room when they brought them in, and truly it was 
a sad scene. They could live but a short time, 
and two of them were young men in the prime of 
life. One was about to be married, and his be- 
trothed fainted when she came into the room. The 
friends of the others were gathered around them, to 
take a final leave. I have witnessed many sad and 
solemn scenes, but none is impressed so indelibly 
upon my mind as this one. How merciful was 
God to me, and how had he spared my life, while 
others perished around me ! Whv was I spared 
through all these accidents? 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 91 



CHAPTER IX. 



The next morning after the sad accident, by 
which five lives were lost, I said to Ackroid, my 
companion, " Let ns go and enlist in the army, and 
be soldiers." He said that he would, and we set 
the time, that we would start the next morning ; 
but he was afraid that I would tell his parents, and 
he therefore ran away before the time, and enlisted 
in the 16th company of Lancers. He soon after 
came and told me what he had done, and upon 
hearing it, I started for the rendezvous, and enlist- 
ed in the 61st Regiment, while Ackroid had enlist- 
ed in the 16th Lancers. As soon as I had enlisted, 
I informed him of the fact, and that we should go 
together, not knowing the difference. The next 
morning I went to one place, while he went to 
another, and I had enlisted for twenty-one years. 
I had to go to Leeds to pass through the surgeon's 
hands, to see if I was in any way physically dis* 



92 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

qualified from serving. I passed through the sur- 
geon's hands, but when measured, I fell short three- 
fourths of an inch of the required height. Thus 
my fond hope of being a soldier was cut short. I 
went to Stanly, about four miles from Leeds ; I was 
without money, and went to see if I could find 
some of my grandfather's relations, to assist me in 
getting to Bradford. I found some friends there, 
who kindly gave me some money, by which I was 
enabled to get to Bradford again. 

I had given up all hopes of ever seeing Ackroid 
again, and felt extremely sorry, as we had been 
boon companions for some time. When I arrived 
at Bradford, I went and told his mother that her 
son had enlisted in the army, and upon hearing it, 
she fainted away, but throwing some water in her 
face, she recovered. 

The next day, while walking the street, I saw 
Ackroid across the way, and hastening over, shook 
him by the hand, and asked him why he was not 
with the army. He replied that he was rejected 
by the surgeon. I felt glad that he was, and we 
both went to work in the mill again, weaving. 

One evening, there was a celebration of some 
kind, and fire-works on the common. Besides Ack- 
roid and myself, there were two more young men 
with us, named Charles Green and Joseph Biggs, 



LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 93 

and we all agreed that night, that we would run 
away the next morning, and we set a time and place 
to meet, and when we separated, we pledged our- 
selves that we would he there. The next morning 
we were all there, faithful to our promises, and 
started for Liverpool, about seventy-two miles dis- 
tant. I had some clothes at my uncle William's, 
whose house was on the road that we were to trav- 
el, and when I arrived there, I told my companions 
to wait for me, while I went in and got my clothes. 
I went into the house, the folks were all gone away, 
excepting one of my cousins, and I told her that I 
wanted to get my clothes, and went up stairs, and 
put them on over my other clothes, and then came 
down. My cousin asked me as I came down, if I 
was going to Halifax. I told her I was not, but 
was going away, and that perhaps she might never 
see me again. The tears filled her eyes, and I 
turned and hurried from the house, ashamed to let 
her see the tears that were trickling down my face, 
and joined my companions, who were waiting for 
me. We then continued our way to Liverpool. 
We had gone about eight miles from Bradford, 
when we began to feel hungry, and as none of us 
had any money, I pawned a cap, (as I had two 
with me,) for half a crown, and with this money 
I bought some bread for us to eat. We then con- 



94 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

tinued our way, and about night we arrived at 
Rochester, and being tired, we tried to get some 
place to sleep in. We managed to get a bed that 
we all four had to occupy, which was rather snug 
quarters. We were awakened in the morning by 
hearing the wooden clogs, worn by the girls, clat- 
tering upon the sidewalk, as they went into the 
mill. We arose, and went down stairs, and hav- 
ing paid for our lodgings, which took all my mon- 
ey, we started on our way again. We traveled 
five or six miles, and then began to feel hungry 
again. I went up to a house, and asked the wom- 
an if she would give me something to eat, but 
she told me to go home and get something to eat, 
if I wanted anything. I then asked her for a drink 
of water, which she gave me, and we all drank, 
and started on our way, and soon arrived at Man- 
chester. We passed through a few streets in the 
city, when we came to a broker's office ; I there 
pawned a vest and handkerchief, and with the 
money we satisfied the pangs of hunger, which 
had troubled us exceedingly the last four miles we 
came. The money lasted us until we arrived at 
Liverpool, and when we arrived there, we went 
down to the dock, and hired out aboard a man-of- 
war, for seven years. We then started to go up to 
see the city. Passing through one of the streets, 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 95 

we were invited into a recruiting rendezvous, 
where we were treated by the sergeant to beer ; he 
then measured us, as he said, in sport, to see how 
tall we were ; one of us, he said, could'nt get into 
the army. He then gave three of us that were 
tall enough, beer sufficient to get us somewhat in- 
toxicated, and then conducted us to a bed up stairs. 
The next morning we were somewhat surprised to 
find ourselves in the place we did. We arose and 
went down stairs, and met the recruiting sergeant, 
who told us that we had enlisted in the army. 
We told him that we had not. He then spoke to 
the keeper of the house, and asked him if he did 
nQt see us take the enlistment money. (When a 
person enlists, he is paid one shilling, and when 
sworn, a half crown more.) 

" Yes," said the keeper, " I saw them take the 
money and put it in their pockets. Come, young 
men," he continued, "just feel in your pockets, 
and I guess that you all can produce the shilling." 

Feeling confident that "the money was not in our 
pockets, we each one unhesitatingly put our hands 
in, and as a matter of course, produced a shilling 
piece. " There," said the sergeant, " what's the 
use of trying to lie out of it ? You must go with 
me to the magistrate, and be sworn." We were 
somewhat surprised to find the shilling pieces in 



96 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

our pockets, but I came to the conclusion that they 
were put there while we were intoxicated. To get 
out of the scrape we should have to pay twenty- 
one shillings, which is called " smart money. " 
We were in for it now, and as I thought of the 
mean tricks that were practiced, of which this play- 
ed upon us was a specimen, to get young men into 
the army, my opinion of it diminished exceedingly, 
but not so much as it has since. Seven years in 
the English army were long enough to convince 
me that the officers, many of them, were never 
soldiers or privates, but purchased their commission 
by paying a certain sum of money, and were there- 
fore more tyrannical, and their discipline and the 
mean living that the young recruits had, would not 
be very strong inducements for young men to enlist, 
and if some way was not adopted to get them, it 
would soon be a weak army. 

We went before a magistrate and were sworn, 
and then received half a crown apiece. We were 
now fully launched out into life, and thought that 
we should soon be on our way to the field of glory 
and fame, to reap honor and win laurels that none 
but a soldier can win. So we thought at that time, 
but we found afterwards that winning laurels and 
wearing them were two different things — the sol- 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 97 

diers win laurels, and the officers wear them. We 
were taken from Liverpool to London, and were 
then billeted out. Ackroid and myself were sent 
together about two miles to an inn. We arrived 
there, but the keeper having no room for us, gave 
us half a crown to pay our lodgings at some other 
place. Being unacquainted with the city, we did 
not find any place, and we therefore started for the 
recruiting sergeant's quarters, and as Ackroid and 
myself could not agree as to which streets to take 
to carry us back, he took one way, and I another. 
I was more lucky than Ackroid, and arrived at the 
sergeant's quarters, and stopped that night. The 
next morning Ackroid was missing, and the ser- 
geant directed the police to look him up, but they 
were not successful. We were detained by this 
two days. The second day in the forenoon I went 
down into a square where the Queen's Guards were 
parading. There were thousands witnessing the 
scene, and I saw in the distance Ackroid. I knew 
him in a moment by his white head, and made my 
way through the crowd, and hurried to the place 
where he was. He was glad to see me ; the old 
difficulty that separated us was forgotten, and we 
went to the sergeant's quarters. We might have 
run away easily, but the sergeant had told us that 
we should go together, and praised us up exceed- 



98 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

ingly, by telling us we were cut out for soldiers. 
He took us with the other recruits, aboard the cars, 
and went to Portsmouth. Here we stopped one 
night, and were placed in the guard-room, and 
sentries placed over us. We slept on boards for a 
bed. The next morning we continued our jour- 
ney, and took the steamboat for the Isle of Wight, 
and arriving there, we traveled four miles to our 
barracks. Here we thought we could take our 
ease, and live like gentlemen, but how soon we 
found our mistake ; instead of ease and comfort, 
we found it a life of bondage, and to drown our 
sorrows, we had recourse to the wine cup. The 
first night in the barracks, we spent in the " dry- 
room," where they put prisoners. Some straw was 
put upon an iron bedstead, upon which I slept. I 
well remember that night, for I rolled out of my 
cot, (it was only two feet wide,) upon the floor, 
which made the rats, which infested the place, 
scamper to their holes. The next morning, the 
barber came and shaved our heads closely. I told 
him that the recruiting sergeant said that we might 
wear our hair long, but the barber told us he had 
his duty to perform, and that we might as well keep 
still. After this was done, we were passed over to 
the surgeon's hands, and then we went back to our 
barracks, and put on our regimental clothes. My 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 99 

old clothes I sold for two quarts of beer, and my 
companion did the same with his. The first thing 
we had to learn, was our drill. Before breakfast, 
we had to drill one hour, then again from eleven to 
twelve, and from three to four o'clock in the after- 
noon ; making three hours a day, and the remain- 
der, we almost always had work of some kind to do. 
The soldiers had two meals a day ; the first at seven 
and one-half o'clock in the morning, and the oth- 
er at twelve, M. Our morning rations consisted 
of one pound of brown bread, and a bowl of cof- 
fee ; this brown bread was sometimes so soft, that 
when thrown against the wall, it would stick there. 
At dinner, we had a pound of meat, and two-and- 
half-pence a day allowed each man, to buy sugar, 
tea, &c. In the barracks where I was quartered, 
there were in each room, seventeen, where they 
lived, slept, ate, and worked. When dinner was 
served up, there used to be two officers, who would 
serve out the rations, consisting of meat soup, to 
each soldier. I could not say that they showed 
partiality, but it looked much like it. The} T would 
proportionate the meat soup out, and then one 
would stand with his face to the wall, while the 
other officer would hold up a plate, and ask, " Who 
is this for?" The officer whose face was towards 
the wall, would say, for such a one ; and in this 



100 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

way, they would pass through the whole. I was 
the youngest in the room, and somehow or other, 
if there was a large bone without much meat upon 
it, I was sure to get it, I stood this as long as I 
could, and at last I told the color * sergeant how I 
fared, and he changed me into another room, but 
here I did not fare much better. 

* So designated because lie wore the colors of England. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 101 



CHAPTER X. 



Ackroid and myself used to drill together, and 
we would often meet and talk of home, and wish 
that we were out of the service, as we had seen 
enough of it. One day there was a young man 
confined for losing some of his clothes, or disposing 
of them. This man was put into the guard-room, 
and tried by a regimental court-martial, and sen- 
tenced to receive three hundred lashes with the 
cat-o'-nine-tails, a whip with nine lashes. At the 
close of the court-martial, the orderly bugler was 
called, and sounded for orders, — that is, for each 
orderly sergeant, of each company belonging to the 
troops that were lying in garrison, to go to the or- 
derly room and take orders. The sergeant goes 
and sits down in the orderly room, and takes down 
the orders as the sergeant-major gives them off. 
The orders that day were that on the next day 
there should be a parade of all those who wem off 



102 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

duty and out of hospital, and a court-martial read 
on parade. The next day at ten o'clock the bugle 
sounded for the soldiers to dress ; and in half an 
hour, the bugle sounded for them to fall into rank 
and file. After we had formed our lines for march- 
ing, the word was given, " Quick march." "We 
were then marched into the " riding school," as 
they call it, where the flogging was done. Here 
the young recruits were marched up alongside 
where the person was to be flogged, that they might 
by this became hardened, and kept in fear. I re- 
member that Ackroid at this time was beside me. 
In this riding school, where they did the flogging, 
the minister held ud a crucified Savior, and the 
culprit was tied to the pulpit in which he stood. 
Many have I seen sacrificed upon the altar, but it 
was not acceptable sacrifice. The buglers of each 
company, and the drum-major of the depot of sol- 
diers, are stationed beside the victim. The drum- 
mers do the flogging ; a number being selected out, 
and they each one give twenty-five lashes, and if 
there are not drummers enough to make out the 
three hundred, the first one gives twenty-five more, 
and so goes round again, until the full complement 
is given. The drummer, rolling up his sleeve, 
grasps the " cat" firmly in his hand, and raising it 






LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 103 

-slowly over his head, brings it clown with his whole 
strength upon the bare back of the poor victim, 
making the blood fly, and counting every blow 
given, until he has given twenty-five, and then re- 
signs the whip to his successor. Every person un- 
acquainted would naturally suppose, that when a 
person is whipped, and the one who inflicts the 
blows has no enmity against the prisoner, that 
they would be light, but it is the contrary ; each 
one takes pride in striking a heavy and severe blow, 
and the one that can strike the hardest is consid- 
ered the best fellow. Thus the prisoner always 
gets a dreadful whipping. 

When the prisoner had received his three hund- 
red lashes, a white cloth, saturated with salt and 
water, was then thrown over his back, and thus 
pickled, he was sent to the hospital, where he 
stayed until his back was well. Sometimes when 
a soldier is whipped, he has a lead bullet put into 
his mouth, to chew, that he may be kept from biting 
his tongue, and I have seen it taken out after they 
were whipped, ground in pieces. In my regiment, 
there was a full corporal, a man that was despised 
by all the soldiers that were under him. He would 
confine the soldiers when they had been drinking, 
and endeavor to get them court-martialed, that 
they might receive a whipping. The soldiers were 



104 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

determined, in some way or other, to get this man 
whipped. 

. One day this corporal, with some soldiers, went 
to Newport to a tavern, and there the soldiers and 
the corporal drank ; the corporal got intoxicated, 
and the soldiers left him at a house of bad repute, 
where he stopped three days. The officers, suppos- 
ing he had deserted, sent out detachments of sol- 
diers, and scoured the country around, to endeavor 
to find him. The third day he was found at the 
house referred to, and some of his clothing was 
gone. He was brought before a garrison court 
martial, and was there sentenced to receive three 
hundred lashes. This pleased the soldiers exceed- 
ingly. It used to be a famous expression with him, 
when a soldier was whipped, and he cried out, or 
even groaned, " That lie was a coward, — a baity." 
One of the drummers, who was to wield the " cat," 
belonging to the regiment of which the prisoner 
was corporal, was six feet two inches in height, a 
very robust and powerfully built man, and said in 
my hearing, the morning of the punishment, " I will 
make him cry out, or my arm shall come orY;'' and 
as he said the words, he stretched forth his muscu- 
lar arm, and no one doubted but what he would be 
as good as his word. I was on sentry at the time 
of the flogging, and every blow struck, caused the 



LIFE OF ISAAC W, AMBLER. 105 

flesh and blood to fly about me. The flesh was 
whipped off from one of his shoulder blades, so 
that the bone was bare. But I will not dwell upon 
the disgraceful scene, which was too degrading for 
human beings to be engaged in. Thank God ! the 
whipping in the army has been abolished ! The 
poor victim was taken to the hospital, and remained 
about one month before he was able to be upon du- 
ty again ; his badges were taken off, and he was 
made a private. This, in itself, is considered a 
great disgrace to an officer. There was flogging 
about once in three weeks ; sometimes oftener. I 
came near getting three hundred lashes, soon after 
I came into the army. One night I was upon sen- 
try ; my sentry box was number six, and near by 
was an apple orchard, the trees being loaded with 
fruit. I left my station, and went to the orchard 
and filled my hat with apples. I made as much 
haste as possible, that I might get back to my box, 
before the half hour call, came round again. I 
was returning when I heard the cry from number 
one, " All's well ! " and thus it continued through 
the numbers, until it came to number six, my 
station, and no cry was heard. I had not reached 
my sentry-box, and the sentry in station seven 
cried out "All's not well!" And. thus it went 

through all the numbers. Number one cried out, 

5* 



106 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

" All's not well ! " which brought out the sergeant 
with a file of soldiers, and they immediately went to 
number twelve. The sentry there said, " All's not 
well ! " number eleven ; and thus it was followed 
back, until they came to number seven, and there 
the sentry told the sergeant that no cry was heard 
from number six. In the meanwhile, I had got 
back to my box, leaving my apples outside ; and 
the sergeant asked me why I did not cry out " All's 
well ! " I knew that I must tell the best story for 
myself that I could, and I told him that I was 
thinking of home, and forgot to give the signal. 
The sergeant was friendly to me, and gave me 
some advice in regard to the matter, and told me 
that if some other sergeant had been in the guard- 
room at the time, I should not have escaped a flog- 
ging. He then left me, and I never heard of the 
matter again, but felt under great obligations to 
him, for pardoning me at that time for such neg- 
lect of duty. 

One night I was on sentry at the hospital, when 
a man named Stinson was carried by me, on a table, 
by four men, to the hospital. He was a man of 
fine education and of superior abilities, and had 
left his regiment in Egypt, on account of his health, 
and come to the Isle of Wight. He was a great 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 107 

drunkard, and a wicked and profane man, and lie 
always boasted, as he was an infidel, that when he 
died, he would go out of the world like a roaring 
bull. When he was carried by me, he was roaring- 
like a bull ; he was in a state of delirium tremens, 
for three days and nights, and made this noise con- 
tinually. The fourth night after he was carried to 
the hospital, between the hours of eleven and 
twelve o'clock, he was carried to the dead-house, — 
two men carried him on a sheet. His hair was 
torn from his head, and he was so mangled that 
he could not be recognized. I was put the next 
night, sentry over the dead-house, and my orders 
were, to kick on the door of the dead-house every 
ten minutes, to keep the rats away from the dead 
that were in there. I did not like the situation. 
I seemed to see Stinson before me all the time, and 
made an exchange with another soldier, and took 
his place, and he took mine. 

I remained at the Isle of Wight about nine 
months, when an order was received from the 
Horse Guards, for a draft of the 97th Regiment, and 
the Rifle Brigade, to fill vacancies at Corfu, and I 
felt joyful to leave this place. Our accoutrements 
were examined, and we were given firelocks said to 
be ours, with locks off, and many of them with the 
breech broken, and we were charged so much for re- 



108 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

pairs, and then good ones were given us, and the 
old ones kept, probably to pass off on the next 
draft that was made. In a few days we were in 
readiness to go to Corfu. ; the bugle sounded for us 
to fall into rank and file. There were one hundred 
in the whole, and we were ordered to march forth- 
with to Dedford. We were marched down the bar- 
racks, while the band played " The girl I left be- 
hind me;" and many of the soldiers haying mar- 
ried without the consent of the commanding officer, 
were obliged to leave their wives and children be- 
hind them. All around me, the soldiers were shak- 
ing hands, and kissing their wives, and bidding 
them adieu, probably for the last time. There was 
no one to bid me farewell, or to shake the friendly 
hand ; no one to shed a parting tear for me ; and 
as I looked upon the scene, I thought, oh ! that I 
had a friend to bid farewell, it would seem to re- 
lieve me ; for my heart was full, as I saw the tears 
trickle down the sun-burnt cheeks of the rough 
soldiers, and the mothers holding up their young 
babes that they might kiss them before they left. 

But there is an end to parting. The word was 
given, " Quick march," and we hastened on. Wo 
had to march four miles to Cowes, where we were 
to take the steamboat, and as I never marched with 
a knapsack on, before, I thought that I should sink 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 109 

beneath my heavy burden. We took the steamboat 
for Portsmouth, and then the cars for London. 
From London we marched to Dedford, and there 
we were billeted out for the night. I and another 
young man were billeted together. We were sent 
by twos and threes, and I wished to be sent with 
Ackroid, but they sent us as was most convenient 
to them. In the morning, we had to meet in the 
dock-yard ; the bugler sounded for us to fall in. 
Having just formed our lines for marching, the po- 
lice came up to Ackroid and a young soldier that 
was billeted with him, and commenced to search 
them. There had been a robbery committed in 
the house where they stopped ; a gold watch and 
some other articles were stolen. Ackroid was first 
searched, and none of the articles were found about 
him. The young man that stopped with him was 
then searched, and the gold watch dropped from 
the skirt of his coat upon the pavement, breaking 
it in pieces. He was taken forthwith to prison, 
and afterwards transported for seven years. 

We went aboard the ship, and went below, and 
took off our knapsacks, and then had to go to work 
upon deck. We were three days and nights going 
down the channel, and the third day we arrived at 
Cove-of-Cork. There we stopped three days, and 
took in the 34th Regiment, and then sailed for the 



110 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

Mediterranean. While we were on onr way, there 
was a young man, a soldier, that picked up a 
" chin-strap," (a strap that goes under the chin to 
keep on the military cap.) This young man inquir- 
ed for the owner, but not finding him, he used the 
strap for himself. The owner in a short time no- 
ticed it, and knowing that it was his, made a com- 
plaint to the commanding officer, and the young 
man was made a prisoner, tried for stealing before 
a regimental court martial, was found guilty, sen- 
tenced to be tied to the main-mast, and there re- 
ceive fifty lashes. This young soldier slept in the 
hammock beneath me, and when they took him to 
be flogged, he plead his innocence, but was carried 
upon the deck, and received his number of lashes. 
He received a severe flogging; the flesh was left in 
ridges, and the blood ran down upon the deck. 
After his flogging he was covered over with a 
white cloth, soaked in salt and water, and then put 
in his hammock. He was said to have been a fine 
young man, and one that would have made himself 
conspicuous, but the whipping that lie received, 
crushed his spirits. He had been full of life and 
activity, but from that time he was sullen and mo- 
rose, and would not hold conversation with any 
one. One day we were sailing along, about thir- 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. Ill 

teen knots an hour; the breeze increasing, the 
studding-sail tore out of the bolt-ropes, and a num- 
ber of us were called upon deck, and told to go 
aloft, and assist in taking in sail ; and as the sol- 
diers were inexperienced, one of our number fell 
overboard, and was lost. The gale increased, and 
at night it was my watch on deck. It blew now 
almost a hurricane, all sail was taken in, and we 
were scudding along under bare poles. I went by- 
one of the port-holes, and laid down, and while 
there, a wave dashed over the side, unshipping the 
gun, and I was carried along by the wave, but 
caught the halliards, and thus saved myself from 
being swept over the ship's side. The crew were 
called up, and the soldiers spiked down beneath 
the deck. At times, the waves made a complete 
breach over her, and she leaned so that her spars 
at times touched the water. At the dawn of day, 
the gale abated somewhat, and we found that a 
number had been washed overboard. I looked 
around for Ackroid, but could not find him above 
or below deck, and thought that he must have been 
washed overboard. As he had been very sea-sick, 
I expected that he was gone, and that I never 
should see him again. While searching, I thought 
of a place under the long-boat, where a man could 
just get in, and going there, found Ackroid. He 



112 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

was wet through, and had laid his head down upon 
some tar, which held him fast. Before he could be 
removed, I found it necessary to get a knife, and 
cut away a portion of his hair ; and having procur- 
ed some water, I washed him, and he revived. I 
then went up where the hogs were kept, and stole 
their breakfast, — black biscuit ; and I believe I 
never felt so cheap as I did when I stole them 
away from the hogs ; but I felt that the necessity 
of the case demanded it, and asserting " border 
rights," I boldly entered the pen, (the very last 
place where I should have thought of ever picking 
up a living,) and by dextrous management, suc- 
ceeded in obtaining something to satisfy the crav- 
ings of my appetite. Those biscuits tasted quite as 
sweet to me as the nicest bread I have ever eaten 
since. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 113 



CHAPTER XI. 



We reached Gibraltar, and there we took in 
some water, and continued our way for Corfu. 
We had sailed some two days, when we had a dead 
calm that lasted three days. We forgot about the 
gale we had experienced, and the fiddle and the 
flute sounded merrily upon the deck, whilst the 
sailors and the soldiers danced to the music ; and 
for three days nothing but songs and merriment 
were heard. The soldiers were allowed a glass of 
rum a day, but as Ackroid was sick, I took his 
share, thereby getting two glasses a day, and I 
then had more than my allowance of rum, and 
have for many years since. The fourth day, a hue 
breeze soon carried us to the shores of Italy, where 
I could plainly see the burning lava upon the sides 
of Mt. Vesuvius, that cast a beautiful mellow light, 
in the evening, upon the hills around. After a 
somewhat long voyage, we dropped anchor in Corfu, 
and went ashore. The 34th Regiment went to " Bell 



114: LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

Barracks," and those of us that belonged to the 
Rifle Brigade, and the 97th Regiment, went to the 
citadel or fortress. Our draft was put in the ma- 
rine guard-room, and then the soldiers hurried 
down to see us, hoping to find some one they knew. 
I saw one young man that came from the same 
place that Ackroid and I did, and we were very 
glad to meet one another, so many miles from home. 
This young man went immediately and got a quart 
of wine and some refreshments to treat us with, 
and we felt so happy with the rest of the soldiers, 
and made so much noise, that one of the officers 
told the captain, and he came and spoke to us, and 
said these words : " Young men, you have got into 
a place where there are no back doors, through 
which you can run home to your mothers." 

The next day we were ordered to wash and dress 
ourselves, and were then paraded before the com- 
manding officer. Our place of parade was on the 
esplanade, and when we arrived there, the officers 
were waiting to take us to the different companies, 
there being sixteen in the whole. I was picked 
out for the Light Infantry, and Ackroid was chosen 
for the second company, and thus we were about to 
be separated. The thought of this began to make 
me feel bad, and I could not restrain myself, and 
the tears began to flow down my face. One of the 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 115 

adjutants seeing that I was crying, said, "What 
are you weeping for?" I told him that the young 
man with a white head had always been with me, 
and that we had enlisted together, and that as we 
were about to be separated, it made me sad. He 
went immediately to the commanding officer, and 
got Ackroid into the company with me. We had 
then our arms and accoutrements served out to us. 
The first thing we now had to do, was to learn our 
drill, which was somewhat different from that we 
had learned at the Isle of Wight. Some of the 
soldiers were sent to the reserve battalion, Ionian 
islands, and the others were in the first battalion. 
There was a poor simple fellow that came with us, 
who could not learn his drill, and he was sent to 
the reserve battalion, and there they could not 
make anything of him. The doctor said that he 
was making it, and that he could bring him out, 
so he was sent to the hospital, under the care of 
the doctor. The doctor one day heated an iron 
poker, and with this, he burned the young man so 
badly that he died. This same doctor, a short time 
after, died a very sudden death, which pleased all 
the soldiers, and he was brought to Corfu to be 
buried. A volley was fired over his grave, and I 
thought at the time that I would much rather have 
fired a bullet at him, than a blank cartridge over 



116 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

him. We soon had to mount guard, and the first 
time I was on, the heat of the sun so overpowered 
me, that I fell down senseless, and was taken up 
and carried to the hospital. I recovered soon, and 
came out of the hospital, although hardly able to 
stand. I was next put on guard upon Mt. Tabor, 
over the Greek prisoners. My watch was two 
hours, and no place that I was ever on sentry was 
so desolate and solemn as that. I could hear the 
rattling of the chains of the prisoners ; also the 
wild boars on the sides of the mountain. During 
the night, the corporal brought a pail full of wine, 
which was drank by the soldiers on duty. I was 
sentry over the old senate, so called, and there was 
one prisoner in there, that had been confined thirty 
years in one cell, and had not seen the light, only 
through the gratings of the window ; he seemed to 
be happy, for I heard him singing Greek songs. In 
the next cell, there was a young man confined, and 
when I was on sentry, two young Greek girls came 
to see this prisoner. They entreated me to let 
them carry some luxuries to him, and I could not 
withstand their earnest pleading, but let them go 
into the cell. If I had been caught in this act, I 
should have been confined, and probably got severe- 
ly punished. 






LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 117 

The sergeant, one evening, went out of town, 
and got some wine, and while he was away, some 
of the other officers brought wine to the soldiers, 
and before he returned, the guard were intoxicated, 
and the next day, when we were relieved, one of 
the guardsmen was confined for getting drunk, and 
the following day, received three hundred lashes. 
There were sixteen flogged that day for getting 
drunk, when upon garrison duty. When I saw 
those poor fellows flogged, I thought to myself, that 
I never would get drunk when on duty. In a few 
days after, I was warned for garrison picket, and a 
corporal asked me to go out of town with him. 
We went to a Avine shop, and there drank some 
two quarts of wine, and became partially intoxicat- 
ed, and when I arrived at the barracks, was confin- 
ed for getting drunk. I had been in the guard- 
room a short time, when one of the men said that 
I should get a flogging, and this sobered me in a 
minute, and I spoke to the sergeant of the guard, 
and told him I was not drunk. " But," said he, 
" you are confined for getting drunk." All the sol- 
diers said I was not drunk. That night I did not 
sleep much, expecting that the next day I should 
be more intimately acquainted with the cat-o-nine- 
tails. The following day, I was carried before the 
commander, and he told me that I was reported as 



118 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

having been drunk, when on duty. I told the ser- 
geant that I was not drunk, and that I could prove 
it by the soldiers. " But," said he, " the sergeant 
said that you was drunk. Young man," he con- 
tinued, " you are commencing too soon to lead a 
bad life, but I think we will punish you." I 
begged that he would not, as I had always tried to 
obey the discipline. The commander said, " As 
you are a youngster, I will forgive you this time, 
but never be brought before me again ; if you do, 
you will have to suffer the penalty for transgressing 
the rules." I escaped the " cat" again, and I made 
up my mind that I never would run the risk of a 
whipping, by getting intoxicated when upon duty. 
There was a rich Jew that kept a shop in the 
fortress, where he sold wines and other things to 
the soldiers. He was as snug and as exacting a 
person as could be met with. He used to sell 
what they called " black puddings," to the soldiers, 
who said that they were made out of rats ; but the 
soldiers, when they went in there, would get liquor 
to drink, and then they would eat anything. The 
soldiers used to say, that if a person would rob 
him, it would be a good deed. One night, as I was 
on sentry, I thought to myself, I will rob that Jew, 
and as he has stolen money away from the soldiers, 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 119 

when they were drunk, it will be no worse for me 
to steal from him ; and with this thought, I put my 
gun down, and went to his door, and tried to open 
it, but it was fast. I then put my shoulder against 
it, and pushed it open, and went in, and opened the 
money drawer. I put my hand in, and found some 
farthings ; and in another drawer, I found a sover- 
eign piece, and some small silver pieces, but I left 
the small pieces, as the sovereign was enough for 
me, and went out and shut the door. I went away 
a short distance, and buried the sovereign piece in 
the ground. I then went back to my post, and 
had just arrived there, when a sentry came to re- 
lieve me. When I arrived at the guard-room, I 
laid down upon the bed, but felt somewhat uneasy 
about the deed, as I remembered what the orders 
were ; and if a soldier when on duty, left his post, 
to go away for plunder, that the penalty was a se- 
vere one. The next day, when the Jew came to his 
shop, he found it had been broken open and rob- 
bed, and he went and told the sergeant. The ser- 
geant said that he could not believe it ; but the 
Jew took him along with him to his shop, and 
showed that it had been broken open. The ser- 
geant went to the soldiers that had been on sentry 
near there that night, and questioned them in re- 



120 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

gard to the affair. We all said we knew nothing 
about it. That night, I went, after I was off duty, 
down to the place where I buried my sovereign, 
and taking it to the money changers, got it changed 
into shilling pieces. I then went and found Ack- 
roid, and we went out to the shops, and spent half 
a crown for wine and eatables. I left Ackroid, and 
went down to where the old batteries were, a short 
distance, and hid my money in an old rotten tim- 
ber there, and then went back to barracks. The 
next day, I went to the old battery, to get some 
money, but was somewhat surprised to find that it 
was all gone. Where it had gone, was more than 
I could imagine ; and I was pretty confident that 
no one followed me to the place ; but one thing 
was certain, my money was gone, and I felt then 
that the proverb, that u riches certainly make 
themselves wings," was a pretty true one. I came 
to the conclusion, as I went back to the barracks, 
never again to take anything that did not belong 
to me. They never knew, I believe, who commit- 
ted the robbery, and they did not exert themselves 
much to find out. The soldiers were glad of it, 
and the officers were not sorry. Perhaps one rea- 
son why the officers did not endeavor to find out 
who committed the deed, was, that they did not 
believe the old Jew's story. Thoy thought he had 



LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 121 

made it up to excite sympathy ; and then again, 
the officers said it was not likely that a soldier 
would have broken into the store, and then left sil- 
ver scattered around ; and upon the whole, they 
neither knew, nor cared much about it, and it 
therefore dropped. 

A few days after this, a barrack was to be built 
within the fortress, and I was chosen, with some 
other soldiers, to work on this, one month. Our 
task was to wheel one thousand bricks a day, some 
four hundred yards from the sea shore, up to the 
barracks, which was a very hard job, as part of the 
distance was very steep, and I have sometimes 
slipped, and my bricks would come down on me, 
and my barrow would roll down over the hill. We 
had a task-master over us ; he was corporal. He 
sported white kid gloves and a cane, and was quite 
a gentleman. In Ireland, where he came from, he 
was a turf digger, and worked in the mud. I 
worked on the barracks about a month, and saw 
many flogged for drinking, while at work there, 
and the task-master would swear that they were 
drunk, if they had taken any at all. 



122 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 



CHAPTER XII. 



The batteries were situated upon a bluff, some 
two hundred and fifty feet high, near the sea. It 
was a level plot, upon which some two thousand 
could be accommodated. Above the batteries, on 
the top of this bluff, was the hospital, and dead- 
house. A short time after I came here, there was 
one man in the hospital that was pronounced dead, 
or so near it, that it would be safe enough, as they 
thought, to put him in the dead-house, and he was 
therefore carried and put in there, and while there, 
the rats began to lay claim to him, which was the 
means of arousing him, and he got up and crept 
around as best he could. The sentry hearing a noise 
within the dead-house, called the sergeant, and the 
soldiers turned out of the guard-room, but not one 
of them would pluck up courage enough to enter. 
At last they got a lantern, and opening the door, 
they called out, " Who's there ? " They received 
no answer, but heard a noise, as if some person 



LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 123 

had fallen down. After some time, they went in, 
and found the poor fellow, who was now dead. He 
was actually frightened to death. 

An incident happened when I was in Corfu, al- 
though not connected with me, still I cannot re- 
frain from stating it. A* man named Rogers, that 
belonged to the Rifle Brigade, and had been a 
schoolmate of the sergeant of the same company, 
got angry with him, as the sergeant, from some 
cause or other, took every opportunity that he 
could, to confine him, and determined to have his 
life. One night Rogers went and took another 
man's firelock, and went to the sergeant's bed, 
and putting the muzzle of his gun to the sergeant's 
head, fired. The ball passed through his head, 
killing him, and down into another room, into one 
of the soldier's cots. The alarm was given, and 
the firelocks examined, to see which one had been 
loaded recently, and the owner of the gun was ar- 
rested ; but while being carried off, Rogers sprang 
from his cot, and said that he was the man that did 
the deed. The other soldier was released, and 
Rogers was taken and put into the dead-cell, and 
there confined to await his trial. He was tried by 
a general court-martial, and was sentenced to be 
hung. On the morning of the execution, the pris- 
oner appeared as lively as ever. At ten o'clock, the 



124 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

bugle sounded for the soldiers to dress, and in half 
an hour, for them to fall in. All were marched up 
to witness the execution ; and when upon the scaf- 
fold, the prisoner made one of the most affecting 
speeches that had been heard for many a day. He 
exposed the petty officers, "and how they tyrannized 
over the soldiers, and concluded his remarks with 
such feeling, that the tears ran down the faces of 
the rough soldiers, and some of them, it was said, 
even fell in the ranks. At that time, his speech 
was heralded throughout the land, as a remarkable 
one. Thus perished a scholar, a soldier, and one 
that had every requisite qualification to have made 
a man respected and honored by his countrymen. 

A short time after the execution, a soldier belong- 
ing to the same regiment with myself, wanted to 
go into town, and as sentries were stationed all 
around, he dressed himself as Rogers was dressed, 
when carried to the place of execution. As he ap- 
proached the sentries, they fled before him, as they 
thought he was Rogers' ghost ; and he succeeded 
in getting to town, and back safe. Having made 
such a successful trip, he thought that he could go 
the next night, but an old soldier was on sentry, 
an Irishman, whom they called Tim. He was as 
bold as a lion, and nothing could frighten him ; 
and as Galgree, (the name of the soldier,) was pass- 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 125 

ing him, he cried out, " Who comes there ?" 

No answer came, and he cried again, " Who 

comes there ?" 

But he received no answer, and again cried out, 
" The divil take you, by St. Pathrick av ye doant 

be after givin the signal, its meself that will make 

daylight shine through ye. Who comes there?" 

No answer came, and Tim snapped, but his fire- 
lock flashed in the pan, or poor Galgree would 
have made his last night's excursion. Tim now 
charged bayonet, and Galgree took to his heels, 
with Tim after him. He soon brought him to 
a stand between two high bluffs, when Galgree 
said, " Tim, don't you know me ? " 

" By me soul, its meself that's not ackuanted 
with the likes av ye," said Tim. 

" But don't you know Galgree ? " 

" Well, Galgree or no Galgree, av ye doant be 
after marching to the guard-room, I'll jist tickle ye 
with the pint of my bayonet ; and faith an ye'll 
find that's meself that's too ould a soldier, to be 
scared by the ghosteses." 

Galgree marched towards the guard-room, with 
Tim following close at his heels, with the bayonet 
at his back, and arriving at another sentry-box, the 
sentry, seeing the ghost of Rogers as he supposed, 



126 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

with a screech, took to his heels. Tim still kept 
marching him along until he came to the guard- 
room, and then ordered Galgree to open the door. 
The sergeant was making out his guard report 
when the door opened, and the ghost of Rogers 
stared him in the face. He was frightened, and 
in his alarm .overturned the table, and the noise 
awakened the soldiers who were in the room ; and 
seeing Rogers's ghost in the door, some cursed 
and swore, while others shrunk into the back 
part of the room. Tim now began to get mad 
at the cowardice of the soldiers, and bellowed 
out " The divil and sure Rogers has come back, 
and what a boald lot av soldiers ye are ; its mesalf 
that would not be afeerd to face a regemint like ye, 
an is it the likes av ye, that are put on guard, thats 
afeerd of a shader? this is nothing more than Gal- 
gree who is playing the ghosteses on us." 

The words of Tim and his voice restored the 
soldiers to order again, and they began to come out 
and show themselves. Poor Galgree was taken up 
into a chamber and fastened in, and the next day 
he was brought before the commanding officer, 
who, when he was brought in, imitated the rest of 
the soldiers, and holding up his hands and starting 
back, to make fun of the frightened officers, lx> 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 127 

said, " I thought we hung you the other day, but 
we will see if we can give you some more punish- 
ment ;" and he gave orders for him to be tried by a 
court-martial, and he was sentenced to break stones 
fifty days where Rogers was hung. 

My companion Ackroid was taken sick a short 
time after I came here, and was carried to the hos- 
pital. What little money I obtained, I would 
spend in buying him luxuries. I was not allowed 
to carry wine to him, but sometimes smuggled it in 
a small flask, concealed in my stockings. I went 
to see him one day, and whilst there, the drum-ma- 
jor came in with a letter sealed with black ; it was 
written by his sister, and conveyed the unwelcome 
news of the death of his mother. His mother had 
written to him many times, urging him to get his 
discharge from the army, which he could have 
done by paying twenty-one pounds, and she offered 
him the money to pay it ; but I would talk him out 
of the notion, and tell him that we should soon go 
to a station nearer home. But the most prevailing 
argument I had, was that we had been companions 
so long that I could not get along without him, as 
they were all strangers to me here, and by this I 
persuaded him to remain. Ackroid read the letter 
and passed it to me, but T could not read, but knew 



128 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

that something was written there that caused my 
companion to weep, and he told me that his mother 
was dead. While the tears coursed down his cheeks, 
he said these words to me : " Isaac, there is some- 
thing in sickness that breaks down the pride of 
manhood, and softens the heart, and brings it back 
to its infancy!" Who that has languished in ad- 
vanced life, upon a sick bed, in neglect and in lone- 
liness in a foreign land, that has not thought of the 
mother who in his childhood smoothed his pillow, 
and administered to his helplessness ? There is 
something in a mother's love for a son, which trans- 
cends all other affections of the heart. It is neith- 
er to be stifled by ingratitude, nor daunted in dan- 
ger ; for she will surrender everything for his en- 
joyment, and sacrifice everything for his pleasure. 
If prosperity should overtake him, she will exult at 
his success ; and if adversity, she will lament at 
his misfortune, — though all the world cast him off, 
she will be all the world to him ! I never expected 
Ackroid to get out again, but he soon after began 
to recover, and left the hospital. 

There were six hundred men that came from the 
Isle of Wight to Corfu, but many of them were 
taken off by sickness, and one regiment, by a fatal 
malady that prevailed, lost every man but one. I 



LIFE OF ISAAC W, AMBLER. 129 

remained in Corfu some three years, and then an 
order came from the Horse Guards, for the 97th 
Regiment to go to Malta. We sailed in the man- 
of-war Vengeance, and every heart was glad to 
leave, expecting to go to a better place, but we 
were taken to a worse one. While we were sailing 
up to Malta, they practiced shooting with a seventy- 
four gun. The first lieutenant had one eye, and 
if there was a tyrant in the British service, it was 
that man. I have seen him, when the gunner was 
elevating his piece, strike him with a rope's end, as 
the position of the gun did not suit him, and lay 
him prostrate on the deck. 

We landed at Malta, and then marched to our 
barracks, where we were sent to our respective 
rooms. The regimental guard was the first place 
where I was upon duty. The Maltese gave the 
soldiers wine, and got them intoxicated, and there 
were so many of them confined that the guard- 
room was nearly full. When we went into the 
streets, we were often attacked, and many were the 
escapes we made from the Maltese while we stop- 
ped in that place. One evening, one of my com- 
panions, a drinking fellow, went out upon the 
street, and got into a fight ; several Maltese were 
against him, but he fought his way through, and 



130 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

arrived to the barracks, covered with blood, and 
wounded badly. The musquitoes and sand-flics 
troubled us exceedingly, so that it was difficult for 
us to sleep in the guard-room, and we used to tie 
our pants around the bottom, to keep them from 
biting our legs ; and although we used every means 
to keep them off, we could not get rid of them. 
By these troubles, we could not sleep much in the 
guard-room, and when we went upon sentry, we 
were very sleepy, and at one time, I remember it 
distinctly, I sat down when upon my post, and fell 
asleep. The sergeant, making his regular visit to 
the sentries, and finding me asleep, seized my fire- 
lock to take it from me, but I was awake in a mo- 
ment, and my bayonet at his breast. He told me 
that I should have to be confined ; but I informed 
him that the musquitoes and sand-flies troubled us 
so when in the guard-room that we could not sleep, 
and that I fell asleep upon my post before I was 
aware of it. This sergeant had always been friend- 
ly to me, and he did not report me to the com- 
manding officer, or I should have stood a chance of 
getting fifty lashes. 

The soldiers having had a falling out with the 
Maltese, could not go into the streets without run- 
ning the risk of their lives. Our regiment, about 
the time of the trouble, had to furnish the mail) 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 131 

guard; there were twenty -seven others besides 
myself upon that guard. One evening, the band 
was playing in front of the guard-room, in a large 
public square, (the band was formed in a circle,) 
and there were three soldiers and a corporal that 
walked around the circle, to keep the crowd back ; 
but one man that had been drinking, broke in, and 
the corporal arrested and carried him to the guard- 
room, and confined him. As soon as the man was 
arrested, the crowd rushed toward the band, break- 
ing their circle, and overturning some of them by 
the rapidity of their movements. The guard was 
called out under arms, and I was standing beside a 
soldier named Yass, when a large rock was thrown 
and came down, grazing his face. This and simi- 
lar demonstrations aroused the soldiers, and in the 
confusion, the prisoner escaped from the guard- 
room, and ran down the street, with the corporal 
after him. We presented bayonets, and kept the 
crowd back. My bayonet was at the breast of a 
priest, and the Maltese men looked exceedingly 
fierce at me, while the priest was continually cross- 
ing himself. The corporal caught up with the pris- 
oner, and seized him by the collar, but quite a 
number of the Maltese gathered around to rescue 
him, when the corporal saw Tim, (the Irishman 



132 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

before referred to,) walking along near by ; he 
cried out for him to assist, and Tim, seizing a large 
cane from a bystander, came to the corporal, and 
as the crowd were just endeavoring to rescue the 
prisoner, he laid a number of them prostrate, and 
took the prisoner, and marched him to the guard- 
room. The Maltese, seeing a number of their men 
struck down by Tim, would not be satisfied or sus- 
pend hostilities, until he was arrested and confined, 
which was accordingly done. He was kept in pris- 
on forty days, and was then honorably acquitted ; 
and when he walked the streets of Malta, the citi- 
zens treated him with more respect than any other 
soldier, on account of his bravery. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 133 



CHAPTER XIII. 



I was on the new Senate Guard while in Malta, 
and there were many Turks there, and I was at- 
tracted every morning by seeing them bow down 
and worship the sun. While upon this guard, I 
was taken sick, but I thought I would much rather 
die in the barracks than in the hospital. But grow- 
ing weaker every day, at last I could just get 
around ; and as the corporal came around to the 
barracks and inquired if any were sick, I gave in 
my name, and was carried to the hospital. The 
doctor, as soon as I arrived to the hospital, came to 
see me, and asked " How long have you been 
sick ?" I told him that it had been nearly a week. 

" You are a dead man, then. Why did you not 
report yourself, before ?" he said with an oath. 

One day the general doctor came to visit me ; I 
had been then three months in the hospital, and 
was almost a skeleton, and he said that I could 
live but a short time. I felt frightened by his 



134 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

words, knowing that I was not prepared to die, and 
I pledged myself, that if God would raise me up, 
that I would serve him the remainder of my days. 
That night my feet grew cold, and I was told my 
time had come. These words nearly frightened 
me to death ; when one of the soldiers that was in- 
toxicated, seized a pan, and filling it full of hot 
water, put my feet into it, scalding me severely. I 
closed my eyes in death, as I thought then, and 
lay speechless. The person who had charge of me 
took from my pocket a Spanish dollar, and ex- 
changed his old boots for a pair of new ones that I 
had on. I opened my eyes, and the man finding I 
was not dead yet, returned the dollar, and replaced 
the boots. That night I was able to speak, and 
continued to recover slowly. I was soon enabled 
to walk, and obtained liberty to go out of hos- 
pital, down upon the sea-shore, and at the first, I 
had the Maltese assist me back to the hospital a 
number of times, being too weak to return. After 
I had recovered so as to go upon duty again, the 
Light Infantry received orders to go upon the op- 
posite side of Malta, to take charge of a fort. 
While at the fort, a soldier belonging to Number 
Two Company had been drinking hard, and he 
went and took his firelock and loaded it, and going 
into a bowling alley that was near, tied a string to 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 135 

the trigger of the gun, and placing the muzzle un- 
der his chin, was just about to pull the string, when 
the sergeant went in, and knocking the man down, 
caught the gun as it dropped ; it went off and 
drove the ball into the ceiling. The soldier was 
taken up, and carried to the hospital. 

We stopped in Malta about sixteen months, 
when an order was received for the 97th Regiment 
to go forthwith to Halifax, in the ship Java. We left 
in the fall of eighteen hundred and forty-eight, and 
arrived at Halifax in some fifty days ; and as we 
had thin clothing on, we suffered extremely from 
the cold. We went ashore and pitched our tents 
on the common, where we stopped tM*ee nights, 
and part of the time it rained and hailed, and we 
had to dig small drains in our tents to carry off the 
water. The bottom of our tents was covered with 
straw, upon which we slept, until the regiment 
whom we were sent to relieve, went away, — then 
we went into the barracks. 

Some of the soldiers and officers were so vexed 
by the treatment which they received that they 
ran away from the army. We had at that time the 
finest grenadier company that there was in the 
British army ; but many of these deserted, thus in- 
juring the company. There were three full-ser- 
geants, and two color sergeants that deserted. The 



136 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

three sergeants went away at one time, and a police 
sergeant that belonged to the 88th Regiment vol- 
unteered to go after them. The sergeants, as we 
learned, were in a Scotch settlement, some distance 
from the army ; and the police sergeant, taking 
some other soldiers with him, went to this settle- 
ment, and found out the house that they stopped 
at. Leaving his men upon the outside, he went 
into the house, and whilst in the lower part, one of 
the sergeants came down stairs. As soon as the 
police sergeant saw him, he drew his pistol, and 
told him to stand, and that he was his prisoner in 
the Queen's name. But the other two sergeants 
came down, and one of them knocked the police 
sergeant over, and took the brace of pistols away 
from him, and then they fought their way through 
the soldiers at the door, and escaped to the States. 
The sergeant got such a severe whipping that he 
was laid by for some time. 

Soon after our regiment arrived at Halifax, I 
was appointed corporal in the Light Infantry, and 
this was a great misfortune to me, for it gave me 
greater liberty inside of the barracks, and plenty 
of drink outside ; and I forgot the promise I had 
made 0-od when I was sick, and plunged deeper 
into dissipation. After being appointed, I was or- 
dered to mount the " ordnance guard," and I 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 137 

had some old soldiers with me, and having been 
recently appointed, I was expected to stand treat 
for all hands. I told them that I should not, for I 
had seen the result of drinking, when upon duty ; 
but one of the soldiers said that all corporals treat- 
ed when appointed. I would not consent, but one 
of them brought a bottle of brandy when upon 
guard, and soon another was brought, until some 
half a dozen bottles had been drank by the soldiers, 
and they got partially intoxicated. What to do, I 
could not tell ! If the commanding officer should 
see them in such a condition, they would be con- 
fined, and myself with them. I therefore went 
and brought a couple of pails of water, and threw 
this on them, but it did not sober them, and I then 
turned too, and gave them a pretty good thrashing, 
which sobered them in a great measure. When 
we went off from duty, the commanding officer in- 
spected the guard, and they passed all right. 

I had charge of fifteen men, and one of these 
one night got a pass from the commanding officer, 
to go out of the barracks and stop all night. His 
name was Thomas Wilkinson, and he and myself 
were boon companions, and used to have our times, 
generally, together. He was a hard drinker, and 
something of a fighting character. Wilkinson 
asked me to come out after tattoo > and I told him 



138 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

I would, if possible. After the roll was called, 
and when all the men were asleep in the barrack- 
room, I arose and dressed myself, and went down 
near the " Canteen," and climbed over the fence, 
and went up where Wilkinson was, and there got 
something to drink. I stopped here a short time, 
and then went to see a keeper of a drinking saloon, 
and while I was there drinking, a police sergeant, 
(the same fellow that did not take the sergeants 
that deserted), came into the shop and asked me 
if I had a pass. I told him that it was none of his 
business, as he had nothing to do with the regiment 
that I belonged to. 

" If you do not tell me, I will call in my men 
at the door," said the sergeant. 

"Well, call them in," I said, and being in drink, 
I was not afraid to face them. 

The sergeant called in two men at the door, and 
they dragged me out of the shop into the street. 
As they arrived opposite where I left Wilkinson, I 
called out for him to come out, but he was too far 
gone to pay any attention to me. I had made up 
my mind not to be carried to barracks, and in- 
tended to get Wilkinson, and both of us I knew 
could have flogged the sergeant and two men that 
he had with him, easily ; but as he was not with me, 
I determined to do it alone. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 139 

The sergeant was in the rear, and a man on each 
side of nie, and I took an opportunity, when their 
attention was attracted in another direction, and 
gave the sergeant a blow under the chin that laid 
him flat upon his back. Then turning quickly, I 
knocked down one of the men at my side, and ran 
as fast as I could with the third one after me with 
a cane ; and catching up, he struck me down in the 
road. I was up and off again, and escaped the 
fellow, and passed the sentry and got safe into 
barracks. I went to my room, and there I undress- 
ed and feigned sleep, for I supposed that I should 
have callers soon. The police sergeant went to the 
barracks and reported to the major sergeant that I 
was .out of barracks, and they both went to the 
color sergeant of the regiment that I belonged to, 
and in company with him, came to my room. The 
major sergeant, coming to my cot, shook me and 
managed to awake me. T got up and wiping my 
eyes, asked what the trouble was. 

" Oh, the rascal," said the police sergeant, and 
he swore that I had been out of barracks, and that 
he could bring proof of it. I awakened my men, 
and they all said that I went to bed when they did, 
but the police sergeant being so positive, and still 
maintaining it, the sergeant major said, " Corporal 



140 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

Ambler, you may consider yourself under arrest," 
and then the three left my room. If they had ex- 
amined my clothes they would have found evidence 
enough against me, for they were covered with 
mud ; but in the excitement they forgot it. 

The next forenoon I was brought before the com- 
manding officer, and the charge read against me of 
breaking out of barracks and assaulting an officer. 
I had borrowed a pair of pants and a coat, so that 
I appeared before the officer in pretty good shape. 

The sergeant major had been up before I was 
brought before the officer, to the place where I had 
been the night before, and there learned that I had 
been out of barracks. I was aware that he had 
been out, and I made up my mind to tell the whole 
story. I therefore told the commanding officer that 
I had been out and up to town, and perhaps took a 
drop, and while 1 was in a shop, the police sergeant 
came in and asked me to show my pass. I told 
him that it was none of his business, which made 
him angry, and he told me that unless I showed 
my pass he would call in two men that he had at 
the door, and take me to the barracks. I consent- 
ed to the arrangement, and then he brought his 
two men in and they took me a prisoner, but that 
they did not carry me a prisoner to the barracks, 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 141 

and that I went there alone, and went to bed and 
got asleep, and so sound that the sergeant major 
could hardly wake me. At this point the sergeant 
major and color sergeant were laughing, and the 
police sergeant seeing that he was not likely to 
make much out of it, was going out, when the com- 
manding officer said : 

" When you attempt to bring prisoners to the 
barracks, remember after this to bring them all the 
way." 

This was a severe cut on the police sergeant, as 
the incidents connected with the three sergeants 
that deserted, and that the police sergeant went 
after, were fresh in the* memory of all present. 
He left the room, while those present smiled at the 
remark. The commander then turned and told 
me to go about my business, and not to be brought 
before him on any such charge again, for if I was I 
should certainly be punished. I faced to the right 
about and went out of the room, finding at the 
door all my company waiting for me, expecting 
that I should get confused. As I came out I said, 
" It's all right, boys," upon which they gave a 
shout, and taking me upon their shoulders, carried 
me to my room, 



142 LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



The soldiers used to have some good times when 
upon duty, and I remember that one night when I 
was placed with three men under me, upon the Mag- 
azine Guard, (this was the farthest guard from 
barracks,) one of the men asked me if we should 
not have some rum ; but as I had seen the effects 
of it anckits consequences, I told him that I would 
not allow an j to be brought. When soldiers set 
their minds on having rum, they will almost always 
manage to get some, and one of the men said that 
if I would allow them to get some, that he would 
get a goose, and another said he would get some 
potatoes, and upon this I gave my consent. They 
went off and soon returned with their provisions, 
and we kindled a fire and baked our goose, and 
cooked our potatoes and drank our liquor, and had, 
in our opinion, a fine time. 

A soldier's life, although it is hard and dark, 



LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 143 

yet has some bright spots, which are like oases in 
desert places, and as rare. And they serve to 
lighten the cares of a soldier's life, and cheer him 
in his laborious and irksome duties. We would 
look back upon the little sprees and good times 
that we had with pleasure, as we sat in the barrack 
room, and laid out our plans for the future. 

As I succeeded well as corporal, and kept my 
men in good condition without being confined, the 
color sergeant of the company asked me how I 
managed to get along so well ; and in the course of 
our conversation, he said, " There is one room with 
ten men in it, and some of them are confined 
about every night, and I want you to take charge 
of the room, and to commence to-day." 

I went to my new quarters, and told them that I 
was appointed to take charge of the room, and that 
upon the commencement intended to have order. 
The first night I stood at the door of the barrack 
room, and the first man that came in drunk I 
knocked down; the second was served the same, 
and I thought that it could be stopped In this way, 
but I found that I was mistaken. The next night, 
in carrying my plans out, I got into a regular fight, 
and one of the men threw a piece of iron at me 
which just grazed my cheek and struck the wall, 



144 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

leaving its mark. After we got quieted down, I 
tried to reason with them, and met with good suc- 
cess. I told them that I was the youngest of any 
of them, and that I had had before good success in 
taking care and keeping order in my room, and 
that now I was placed over them, as I had been so 
successful. I still further told them that my repu- 
tation and my honor were compromised, (for I had 
told the color sergeant that I could keep order) 
and that I now appealed to them as men of honor 
to assist me. One old soldier that had been in the 
army many years, said, " I will give my word and 
honor that I will not get drunk again while you 
have charge of the room, and I will not speak to 
the soldier that does." This encouraged me, and I 
thanked him, and from that day it was the best and 
most orderly room in the barracks. 

I therefore ever since that time have thought 
much of moral suasion, and have found that man 
has a heart, and that it is never so hardened but 
that it is capable of receiving good impressions, 
and being touched by words of kindness. God 
has given rational beings the power of reasoning, 
which is a powerful agent of man, and which is 
the greatest and most potent instrument that can 
be applied to man to bring him from vice and evil. 

A short time after this, I was chosen to go after 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 145 

a deserter to Pictou, some 120 miles distant, and 
two men were selected to go with me as an escort. 
Before we left, my orders were given me, and quart- 
ers were provided on the way, and an order given 
me to present to the keeper of the places I was 
ordered to stop at. We started off with our knap- 
sacks on our backs, and our arms with us. But 
passing a detachment of the 97th Regiment, we left 
our knapsacks, as they were so heavy and impeded 
our progress considerably, and then continued our 
way. The first day we marched about twenty miles 
and arrived at our billeting quarters, where we got 
something to eat and stopped that night. We only 
had two meals a day, one in the morning before we 
commenced our march for the day, and the other 
at night where we stopped. The next morning we 
continued our march, and went that day about the 
same distance that we did the day before, and ar- 
rived at our quarters. The third day it rained 
hard, but we had to travel the same, and we went 
this day 20 miles and arrived at our stopping place, 
and here we all stood before a large fire, and dried 
ourselves the best we could. In conversation with 
the landlord, I told him our next stopping place. 

" You must be careful there," he said, " the land- 
lord of that place is a villian ; but a short time ago 
a pedlar was murdered there, and if you carry any 



146 LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

money with you, you had better keep an eye on it." 
I told liini that I thought that we should not 
meet with any difficulty, 'but thanked him for his 
words of caution that he had given me, and then we 
retired for the night. The next day we arrived at 
the tavern that the last keeper had cautioned me 
about, and we met the landlord at the door, and I 
was immediately struck with his pleasant appear- 
ance. As we went into the house, we saw his two 
daughters, and I thought to myself, surely this man 
can be no murderer. When night came I was shown 
to a room below stairs, while my two men were 
carried up stairs ; this I thought looked suspicious, 
but I kept all the firelocks in my room, and told 
the men that if they heard an alarm to hurry down 
as soon as possible to my assistance. When I laid 
down for the night I put a firelock at my side ; but 
I could not sleep, my thoughts were running upon 
what the tavern keeper had told me in regard to 
the man whose roof I was under. As I lay there, 
I heard some one approaching my room who seem- 
ed to stop at my door. I seized my firelock, and 
as I was accustomed to challenge when upon sentry, 
I cried out, " Who comes there ? " I received no 
answer, and as I heard no more noise I laid down 
again upon my bed, but as I was still listening, I 
heard voices. I arose and went to the door and 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 147 

listened ; it was the voice of the landlord in prayer ; 
and as he concluded, the daughters followed, and 
they concluded by singing a hymn. I felt more 
secure after hearing those prayers than I did with 
my guns by my side, and I threw aside my fire- 
locks, and laid down and slept sweetly. The next 
morning we tried to get some rum of the landlord, 
hut we were not successful, (we had got it every 
morning before), and we had to leave without it. 

We had traveled some five or six miles when I 
began to feel faint and hungry, and I told my men 
to keep on whilst I went into a cabin by the side of 
the road, and got something to eat. I had been so 
used to my rum that I could not get along without 
it. I went into the cabin where there was an 
elderly lady and her sick daughter that was near 
death, and I asked her if she would get me some- 
thing to eat. She brought me a cup of coffee and 
a buckwheat cake, which tasted good to me ; after 
eating I offered the woman some money, but she 
would not take it, and thanking her, I left the 
cabin to overtake my men, but they were some 
distance before me. As I was hurrying through a 
piece of woods to overtake them, a man jumped out 
from the busiies hefore me with a bayonet in his 
hand, and approached me in a threatening manner. 



148 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

I presented my bayonet and made a rush towards 
him, upon which he turned and took to his heels, 
and jumping over a ditch by the side of the road, 
he dropped the bayonet out of his hand. I crossed 
the ditch and picked it up > and continued on my 
way, and soon came up with my men, and showed 
them my bayonet that I had captured in my attack 
upon the man who had assaulted me. 

We continued on our way, and arrived at our 
place for refreshment, and there I showed the bay- 
onet, and the keeper said that he had had two 
horses stolen from him, and that a number of the 
families around had lost some articles. We imme- 
diately gathered some of the neighbors, and started 
off in pursuit of the robber. The next day we 
came to a village about twenty miles from my place 
of destination, and found my quarters and had 
something to eat, and then I went with my men 
into the bar room. Whilst there a number of 
young men came in, and we had a pretty merry 
time. One young man of about my size, wished 
me to exchange my military clothes for his, and 
then for me to go with him to his father's house, 
which was about three miles from the tavern. 

I was ready for any kind of sport, and there- 
fore willingly complied with the request, and we 
went into an adjoining room and exchanged clothes, 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 149 

and going out, we got into a carriage which the 
young man had there, and started for his house. 
We had both taken too much liquor to navigate a 
horse well, and we at the first start had some 
narrow escapes. We had gone about one mile, 
when we came into a clearing, where the road was 
not easily discernable. We were going about twelve 
knots an hour when the chaise all at ' once sunk 
into a ditch, and stopping suddenly, I was thrown 
forward on to the horse's back. The horse break- 
ing away, and jumping at the same time, somewhat 
disturbed my equilibrium, and I fell down into the 
mud, while he went off at full speed. In a short 
time I came to myself, when hearing a noise near 
me, I thought I was on sentry, and cried out, " Who 
comes there ? " 

" Why, don't you know me ?" said my companion. 

" I don't think that you would know me," I said, 
" for I am in the mud, and my, or I would say 
your clothes are pretty well daubed. But where 
are you ? " 

" Well, I am in the mud, too, and I believe that 
I have broken my wrist." 

" Well, I profess to be something of a doctor, if 
you will just come and pull me out, I will see to 
your wrist." I was beginning to get pretty sober, ' 



150 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

as the cold mud and water had a wonderful influ- 
ence on me. 

" I am out/' said my companion, and coming to 
where I lay, he took hold of my hand, and pulled 
me out. 

One glance at my military clothes showed me 
that they were none the better for this night's ex- 
cursion, and I saw a number of places torn, but I 
consoled myself with the thought that there were 
none here to inspect them. After brushing from 
us the mud, we started for our horse, but not find- 
ing him, we continued on our way. We soon arriv- 
ed at the young man's house, and found that the 
horse had arrived all right. My companion went 
up to the door and knocked. The door was opened 
by his father, when he said, " Can you accommo- 
date two poor soldiers here to-night ?" The old 
gentleman said that he did not think that he could, 
and was just pushing the door to, when the young 
man said, " I have no place to sleep to-night, and 
it is rainy without, and I should like to sleep on the 
floor," upon which the old man opened the door 
wide, and we went into a room where the young 
man's mother was, who eyed us rather narrowly, 
and then turned to her son who had on my clothes, 
and exclaimed, " My son," and fainted. She soon 
came to, and I was treated finely by the old people, 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 151 

and then started to go back, the young man show- 
ing me the way. 

The next morning we resumed our march and 
soon arrived at Pictou, and went to the jail and 
found the prisoner there. As it was night, and I 
had an order on a tavern for refreshments and 
lodgings, I left the jail, and with my men went to 
it and put up. 



152 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 



CHAPTER XV, 



The next morning we went to the jail and saw 
the sergeant, who gave the prisoner into my hands, 
saying, "Here is a deserter from the army; by 
orders that I have received, I give him over into 
your hands." I took the prisoner and put on the 
handcuffs, and started to march for Halifax. After 
going about a mile, I told the prisoner that if he 
would give me his word not to attempt to escape, I 
would take the handcuffs off. He replied that he 
would not give me any trouble, and I took them 
off. 

That day we stopped at the place that we had 
been billeted to, and I was troubled how to take 
care of my prisoner. I felt that I had something 
at stake, and thought that it was of as much im- 
portance as if I had a thousand to look after. 
After much reflection upon the subject, I thought 
of a plan ; I therefore slept with the prisoner, and 
had my left hand handcuffed to his right one, feel- 






LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 153 

ing pretty confident that my prisoner could not get 
away without my knowing something about it. 

I think that this way of securing a prisoner was 
original, but I would not recommend it, especially 
if a person wishes to sleep much. I thought that 
my wrist would be broken off. Every time the 
prisoner turned, it would cut my wrist, and every 
time 1 turned, it would cause the prisoner to cry 
out, and vice versa. I thought that the prisoner 
might get somewhat excited in the night and strike 
me with his fist, but as a precaution, I had his 
right hand confined to my left, and I came to the 
conclusion that if he commenced such an operation 
that he would be likely to come off second best. 
To say that I felt as tired in the morning as I did 
the night before, would convey no idea of my con- 
dition. If I had been three days and nights upon 
a forced march, without closing my eyes to sleep, 
I could not have felt worse, and I thought that the 
next time I took a prisoner, I would let him go 
before I would torture myself as I did that night. 
The next morning we resumed our march and 
arrived without any adventures to our quarters, 
where we stopped for the night. The next day 
was the Sabbath, and I made up my mind to stop 
at this place during the day. I therefore had my 
prisoner lodged in jail, telling the keeper at the 



154 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

same time, that I should look to him for his safe 
keeping, and then went to church. After meeting 
I went to the jail, as I felt somewhat anxious, as 
some prisoners had made their escape out of the 
jail where I had put my man. I found all right, 
but the man wished to come out and walk around 
some, he said, so I told the jailer to let him out, 
and I presented bayonet, and the prisoner marched 
before. We had gone some fifty yards, and had 
got out of the main streets when the prisoner turn- 
ed around rather fierce at me, and started to run. 
I cocked my firelock, and sung out for him to stop, 
or he was a dead man, which he quickly did, and 
coming up with him, I told him to " right about 
face," and marched for the jail. After giving him 
into the hands of the jailer, I went to the tavern, 
and found that my two men were drinking in the 
bar-room with two deserters that were there, and 
they agreed among themselves to rob and kill me, 
and then to leave with the money, as I had some 
little with me. One of my men that was with me, 
was an old soldier that had been in the army four- 
teen years, and he thought to himself, that in seven 
years more, he would receive a pension for life, and 
he therefore determined to have nothing to do in 
the affair, and came and told me the whole story. 
One of these deserters was the same man that took 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 155 

care of me when I was sick in the hospital, and 
took my Spanish dollar, and exchanged boots with 
me, and I can assure you that I had no very friend- 
ly feelings towards him at that time. I told my 
escort, or the one that informed me of the plot, 
that he had better appear the same as if nothing 
had been said about it, and when they came to my 
room, I would be ready for them. This conversa- 
tion was in the bar-room, and seeing one of the 
deserters coming in, my escort stepped out of the 
way. As he came in, a thought struck me. and I 
spoke to him and said, " Did you not see two es- 
corts who are in the village in search of you, and 
your companion ? now, take my advice, and leave 
as quick as posssible, or you will be taken." He 
turned pale as I was telling him about the escort, 
and left immediately, and I have never seen either 
of them since. 

The next morning I commenced my march, and 
reached Halifax after being absent sixteen days, 
fourteen of which, if I am not mistaken, it rained. 
I lodged my prisoner in jail, and he was kept there 
six months, and was then sent to England, where 
he was confined in prison about three months, and 
was then liberated, and soon after made his escape 
to America. 

This deserter was about to marry a young worn- 



lOb LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

an at Prince Edward's Island, before he was made 
a prisoner, but the father of the young woman was 
opposed to the match, and knowing that the man 
was a deserter, informed the captain of a company 
there, who immediately made him a prisoner. The 
deserter, as soon as he was liberated in England, 
(he had received money from his betrothed in 
America,) immediately made his escape to Prince 
Edward's Island, and married the young woman 
there. 

The next guard that I mounted was over the 
prisoners. The sergeant-major picked me for out 
this guard, as he said, because it was an easy one, 
I having just returned from a hard march. I had 
to go on guard at four o'clock in the afternoon, and 
stop till eight o'clock, and all this time I was not 
allowed to speak aloud or laugh. I had to sit on a 
seat erected on one side of the room, and on this 
seat I could look over all the prisoners. On the 
opposite side was the provost sergeant, who had 
charge of the prisoners. When I went into the 
room where the prisoners were, they were all in 
rows, and I noticed many that I knew, and had 
been with many times on a spree ; and as the 
prisoners were not allowed to speak, those that 
knew me began to make signs. I went up and 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 157 

took my seat, but it seemed a strange place for me. 
All the prisoners were facing me, and one, a drum- 
mer, a comic and mimicking fellow, looked very so- 
ber at me all the while. Those around him began 
to smile, and I began now to comprehend his mean- 
ing. The fellow was pretending that I was a 
preacher. I burst out into a loud laugh, in which 
all the prisoners joined, which astonished the pro- 
vost sergeant, and he said that he would report me 
to the commanding officer. One of the prisoners 
now spoke, and said that the provost sergeant had 
no right to speak, and general confusion ensued. 
This guard was the hardest one I ever had. 

The next guard I went upon, was the citadel 
guard. Previous to my mounting this, an officer 
belonging to the Scotch highlanders brought thir- 
ty-six deserters, who were transported, and put in 
I the dry-room, a place where criminals were kept. 
The building was of granite, and the windows 
were secured by strong iron bars, to prevent the 
prisoners escaping. A sergeant went every two 
hours through the room where the prisoners were, 
and with a piece of iron would let it strike against 
the bars as he passed, to see if any of them had 
been sawed into. One of the prisoners, between the 
interval of the sergeant's visits, sawed a bar of iron 



158 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

off, and made a passage large enough to admit a 
person, and through this quite a number escaped. 
One large man in endeavoring to get through, got 
wedged in, so that he could not get back, and the 
other prisoners finding that they could not get him 
out, informed the sentry. The sentry gave the 
alarm, and soon the whole guard turned out, and 
opening the door of the dry room, saw the man 
fast in the window. We pulled him back, but I 
certainly thought it would kill him, and then start- 
ed in pursuit of those that had escaped. We were 
not successful, and although detachments were sent 
throughout the surrounding country, we never 
heard from them. How they escaped out of the 
fortress we never knew, for after getting out of the 
window, they had to drop some ten feet to the 
ground, and then they were inside of a granite 
wall some ten feet high ; this they managed to 
scale, and thus effected their escape. 

There was a place called "Waterloo Tavern," 
kept by a man named Murphy ; it was a low, mis- 
erable place, and one night a man belonging to the 
sappers and miners went to this place, and having 
considerable money about him, was murdered and 
thrown into a well. A short time after, his body 
was found there, and so enraged were the sappers 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 159 

and miners that they determined to have their re- 
venge. They commenced to lay a train of powder 
a number of yards distant, and extended it to 
the tavern. They were some time in accomplish- 
ing the undertaking, and one dark night they 
ignited the powder, and instantly an explosion took 
place, and the building was at once enveloped in 
flames. The bugler gave the alarm of fire, and 
the engines were hurried out, and great exertions 
were pretended to be made to subdue the flames, 
but it was burnt down, together with some persons 
in the building. 



160 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



In our company there was a sergeant, named 
Pallinger. He was a smart and shrewd man, and 
had a good education. He was the color sergeant, 
and was entrusted with a considerable amount of 
money, he being considered a very honest man. 
He and a man named Smith were determined to 
leave the army, and make their escape. Before 
leaving, the sergeant bought himself a splendid 
suit of clothes, and a footman's suit for Smith ; 
and watching an opportunity, they one night made 
their escape, the sergeant taking considerable mon- 
ey that was entrusted to him. They passed off 
on the road as gentleman and servant, and a 
number of detachments of soldiers who were in 
pursuit of them, passed them on the road, but as 
the sergeant was dressed finely, they did not dare 
to say anything to him, although they saw that lie 
was about the same height as one of the deserters. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 161 

They came one day to a guard, and Smith, the 
footman, was ahead ; the guard stopped him and 
began to inspect him, when he told them that his 
master was a few steps behind, and that he would 
settle with them for stopping his servant; and 
upon this they let him go. The sergeant soon 
came along, and they stopped him, but he told 
them that he would report their proceedings to the 
commander for stopping a gentleman on the road, 
and wished to know if they intended to insult him 
so much as to stop him upon the pretense that he 
was a deserter. He would have them to know that 
he was a gentleman, and that he would make them 
smart for their behavior. And feeling somewhat 
ashamed, the soldiers let him off, and with his foot- 
man he escaped to the States ; and now lives in 
the State of New York. 

There was a sergeant in the 7th Regiment, a 
smart and very strong and courageous man, named 

E . I well remember of receiving some 

pretty severe threshings from his hands, although 
not so large a man as I was. He was a great 
drinker, and sometimes would come up into our 
mess and get drunk,, so that we would have to 
carry him to his quarters. In the Russian war the 
sergeant was on the field of battle, and fell pierced 



162 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

with nine balls, and left on the field for dead. He 
came to, and getting np, took a firelock that was 
near, and loading it, walked np to the enemy's po- 
sition where there was a sentry on guard over 
three prisoners ; he fired and shot the sentry, and 
the prisoners escaped. They went towards their 
quarters, and while going, a field piece was fired 
at them ; the hall grazed the sergeant's foot, taking 
the sole of his boot completely off. When he ar- 
rived at his quarters the balls were extracted, and 
he was soon after sent to England with a pension. 

The Qneen and her maids of honor received him, 
her Majesty making some remarks, and speaking of 
his brave conduct, offered him a home in England, 
or he might go to Halifax where his wife was, and 
make his home there. The sergeant thinking that 
there was no place like " sweet home," went to 
Halifax, and as he left, one of the maids of honor 
walked arm in arm with him to the place of em- 
barkation, where the Queen presented him with a 
white silk handkerchief, saying, "that it was hemmed 
with her own hands," and was given to him as a 
mark of her esteem for his bravery. 

The sergeant, the last T heard from him, was 
still living in Halifax, and he sometimes has a little 
spree, and when he does, will take out his white 
handkerchief and swing it in the air. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 163 

We remained in Halifax about twelve months, 
and then were ordered to St. Johns, New Bruns- 
wick. We immediately went and took our respec- 
tive quarters. Soon after we came to St. Johns, I 
was appointed sergeant ; this was another bad thing 
for me, it gave me still greater liberties. I went 
in company with the sergeants, who were all drink- 
ing fellows, and I had the privilege of drinking to 
the greatest excess. I had been here but a short 
time, and one evening I was walking in one of the 
streets, when I saw in a window on the opposite 
side, three young ladies, who, upon seeing me, 
looked up, and one of them said, " Look at that 
nigger soldier." 

On hearing this remark, I felt vexed. It did not 
surprise me, however, for I had burned my face so 
badly whilst in the warm climate, that I was almost 
black. I thought to myself that I would marry 
the one that made the remark about me. 

The young woman who had spoken thus, was 
the daughter of a lady that lived in great style and 
moved in the first circles, and how to get acquaint- 
ed with her, was now the question. I knew a 
soldier in the guard room that could write, and I 
told him that I wanted him to write me a letter, 
which he accordingly did, and I sent it. I received 
an answer the next day that checked my ardor a 



164 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

little. It read thus, "How dare you, sir, have the 
presumption to address me a note ?" Short and 
sweet, yet I determined to persevere in my suit, 
and resolved yet to get acquainted with her. 

Passing her house one day, I saw her in the 
garden, and went around to the back side of the 
house, and I walked softly up behind her as she 
was picking off a rose. She heard my step behind, 
and turning around, was upon the point of hurry- 
ing off to the house, when I said, "Madam, you 
will excuse my presumption, (I never heard the 
word before I heard it read in the letter that the 
young lady sent me, but I thought that I must 
bring out every thing that I could, in my opening 
speech ; I had got it all by heart to deliver some time 
before I met her in the garden,) in entering your 
garden so unceremoniously, but the beauty of your 
flowers attracted my attention, and I hope you will 
excuse my boldness. " She pardoned me, and 
showed me around the garden, and soon after I 
left, feeling well pleased with my success. 

Whilst at St. Johns, I was appointed caterer of 
the sergeant's mess, and to sell rum to the soldiers. 
This berth gave me a pretty good opportunity to 
drink as much as I pleased. I drank up all my 
pay, and all the profits on the liquor, and was very 
dissipated whilst I held that berth. We used to 






LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 165 

piny cards vrhilst not on duty, and one night one 
of the officer's servants came in to play, and we 
all drank very hard. The servant made a mis-play, 
and I told him of it, which made him angry, and 
he reached across the table and struck me in the 
face. I had drank so much liquor that I was 
under its influence considerably, and this enraged 
me. I jumped up and put the light out, and clear- 
ed the room of all excepting the servant ; and 
now I was determined to give him a threshing. 
He grabbed me by the hair with one hand, and with 
the other he had me by the throat. In endeavor- 
ing to free myself from his grasp, I left a large 
portion of my hair in his hand. Then I was at 
liberty, and springing towards him, I seized him, 
and hurrying to the door which was open, I was 
just upon the point of pitching him headlong over 
the verandah, down some twelve feet, to the pave- 
ment below, when I was arrested by one of the 
company. When I got sobered down a little, I 
felt extremely glad that I was stopped from doing 
an act, whereby I have no doubt I should have 
taken human life, or been the means of it. 

The next morning I was awakened in my cot by 
a tap on the shoulder. I knew what it meant well ; 
when a soldier has been insulted, and wishes satis- 
faction, he goes early in the morning and taps the 



166 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

person on the shoulder who has insulted him, as a 
signal to get up and go and fight it out. The 
instant I felt the touch, I was awake and knew what 
was wanted ; he was the one that I shoved out of the 
room the night before. I tapped my chum, Tim 
Wilkinson, upon the shoulder, and asked him to go 
with me, and he arose, and we went out. "How 
much is this for ? " said I. " For a quart," replied 
the sergeant. (The first one that received a clip 
in the face, would have to pay for a quart of rum.) 
I gave him the first clip, and thus wounded honor 
was appeased, and the satisfaction deemed complete, 
and he paid the liquor and all was settled ; and to 
tell the truth I felt well pleased to get off so well, 
for he was a powerful man, and a superior boxer, 
and would have been likely to have laid me on the 
ground, if he had struck me. 

Such scenes as these were very common with us 
whilst I was cater for the mess ; and many were 
the skirmishes we had. 

In the winter of 1850, I was sent with eighteen 
men and a corporal, to take charge of a magazine 
in Portland, St. Johns. Our quarters were in a 
wretched condition ; the floors were all in pieces, 
and the snow sifted through the cracks in the side 
of the building, and to keep from freezing, we kept 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 167 

full of rum, so that one-half of my men were 
drunk most of the time. 

One night the wind blew severely, and the snow 
sifted through the cracks in the side of the house, 
and lay in drifts in our room, and as we had no 
fire, we passed the night wretchedly. The captain 
came to visit the guard, and I called him in and 
showed him the condition of our room, and he was 
astonished at the scene, and immediately sent some 
men and had it repaired, making it tolerably decent. 

We had a room up stairs where we used to play 
cards, and many of the citizens used to come and 
play with the soldiers, bringing liquor with them, 
and they would sometimes get drunk, and quarrel 
with one another. One fellow who came there 
had lost both legs above the knees, and he used to 
get drunk every time he came. One night I went 
with him to his home, as he was so intoxicated that 
he could not go alone, and in returning to my 
quarters, the police stepped up to arrest me (think- 
ing that I was a drunken soldier, as they had just 
arrested some) but I turned and made fight, knock- 
ing down the one that had seized me, and escaped 
to my barracks. 

One of my soldiers, soon after my escape from 
the police, told me that he saw a soldier of Number 



168 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

Two Company in a rum shop in citizen's dress, and 
that he intended to desert, and if I did not arrest 
and confine him, he would report me to the com- 
manding officer. I went down to the shop where 
the soldier was, and went in and seized him ; and 
told him that he was my prisoner in the Queen's 
name, and with some considerable difficulty dragged 
him into a back room, and then called upon the 
keeper to watch him whilst I went after some of 
my men. I soon got them, and then carried him 
to the main guard, where he was confined. I was 
ordered to stop at this magazine one month, and as 
the time had now expired, I returned to the bar- 
racks. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 169 



CHAPTER XVII. 



There was in the company to which I belonged, 
a sergeant named Smith, who one night broke out 
of barracks, and on the same night, unknown to 
him, a private broke out. They met in a ram 
shop, and getting into difficulty, came to hard 
words. The sergeant left the shop, and the private 
followed, and overtaking him, they got to fighting, 
and as this was near the main guard, the sentry 
gave the alarm, and as I was on guard at the time, 
I ran to the place, and seizing the sergeant, separ- 
ated them. The private, taking a bottle from his 
pocket, was in the act of striking me, when I gave 
him a blow which knocked him down. This ser- 
geant had always favored me when I got into any 
scrapes, and he told me to bear in mind how he 
had always befriended me. I told him that I 
would get him out all right, and delivered the pri- 
vate into his hands, and told him to keep him, and 



170 LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

I would get some men and take him to the guard- 
room. I soon brought a file of men, and took the 
private, and carried him to the guard-room. The 
next day he was brought before the commanding 
officer. He said that the sergeant had also broken 
out of barracks. " We are not here to try sergeant 
Smith, but to try you," said the commanding offi- 
cer ; and he was ordered to be put into the cells 
for seven days. 

Soon after this affair, the same sergeant, who was 
a good friend to me, was on guard, and I wished to 
go out of barracks, and he gave me a permit ; but 
on returning in the morning, as I was climbing 
over the fence, to get into barracks, the sentry saw 
me, and as he was the same soldier that was out 
with the sergeant, and whom I had taken prisoner, 
he gave the alarm ; but before the guard came out, I 
was in my room. Two sergeants came into my 
room, and finding me there, said that the sentry 
had reported me out of barracks. The next day I 
was brought before the commanding officer, and as 
the sentry bringing no proof against me, failed to 
make out his case, I ordered him to be confined for 
telling a falsehood, as I said, and he therefore got 
seven days more in the cells. 

I was taken sick about this time, and was con- 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 171 

lined to the hospital some three weeks, before I 
was able to be upon duty again. This sickness 
was owing in a great measure to the dissolute life 
that I led. 

One night I wanted to go out of barracks, and 
the sergeant agreed not to inform against me, and 
I went out, but had not been gone long, before he 
reported that I had broken out of barracks. An 
escort was sent after me, and I was taken back a 
prisoner, and the next day brought before the com- 
manding officer, who ordered that one of my badg- 
es be taken from my coat. I felt this more than I 
should if I had been cowhided, and I got a soldier 
to write to my " intended," and inform her of the 
circumstances. She wrote me an encouraging an- 
swer, but I could not bear to be thus disgraced, 
and I determined to take advantage of the first op- 
portunity to make my escape. I got the young 
soldier to write to my " intended," informing her 
of my intention to escape from the army. The 
young soldier that wrote for me was one that I 
could trust — we were firm friends. I received an 
answer, advising me not to make the venture, as 
she would soon, if I wished it, purchase my dis- 
charge, but I would not think of such a thing. I 
had seen enough of the army, and when sober, how 
to escape was always uppermost in my thoughts. 



172 LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

I was encouraged by an incident that happened 
about this time ; three men who deserted and went 
into the woods were surrounded there, or rather 
every place where the deserters wished to come out 
was guarded. After remaining there some six days, 
being nearly exhausted with hunger, they came 
out and gave themselves up to a kidnapper, as the 
soldiers termed him, (one who caught deserters 
and returned them to barracks). He gave them 
something to eat, and then secured them that night. 
The next morning he tied their hands together, 
and taking them into a wagon, started for the bar- 
racks. One of the prisoners got his hands loose as 
they were riding along, and untied the prisoners 
near him, and then knocked the driver, or kidnaj> 
per, off his seat into the road, while the other 
prisoner seized the reins. The kidnapper drew his 
pistols, but before he could use them, he was seized 
by two of the deserters and bound. They tied him 
to a tree, and gave him two dozen lashes with the 
whip, and then getting into the wagon, turned the 
horse's head, and rode into the States. They then 
got out of the wagon, and started the horse towards 
his home. 

Some person liberated the kidnapper, and I was 

upon sentry when he came into the barracks and 

told his story, but he did not receive much conso- 
9 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER, 173 

lation from the soldiers, who only laughed at his 
misfortunes, and wished that he might get another 
whipping. 

The next morning, Saturday, I went on guard, 
and stopped until twelve o'clock, M., and at four 
o'clock on Monday, the regiment was ordered to 
go on board a steamer for Halifax. On Monday, 
at twelve o'clock, M., I came off guard and went 
to dinner, and then I told Tim Wilkinson, my 
chum, that I intended to escape, and gave him the 
key to my chest and all my things, and told him to 
keep silent about it. In a short time the orderly 
came to inspect the dinner, and I knew that now 
was my best time, as all the men were at dinner, 
so I went out of my room into the yard. There 
was a high fence with iron spikes in the top, (the 
fence was eight feet high,) and springing up, I got 
hold with my hand and drew myself up and jump- 
ed over. Here I had to get over a wooden picket 
fence, which I did somewhat in a hurry, and 
hastened to see my " intended." I arrived at the 
house, and told her that I had left the barracks for 
good. The mother of the young lady (her father 
was dead) seemed much pleased with my endeav- 
oring to make my escape, and I have no doubt but 
wished that I would get off so far that I would 



174 LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

never trouble her daughter again, and made me 
up a bundle of clothes and^ gave me a sovereign 
piece, and wished me good luck. I told her that 
I was afraid to go through the streets with a bundle 
in my hand, and asked her if she would not let 
her daughter go to Portland, about one and a half 
miles distant, and carry my bundle for me. After 
sometime, I prevailed on her to let her daughter 
carry it, and we started off, her daughter going 
some ten yards before me. We had gone but a 
short distance before she turned towards me, and 
said, " There's a picket of soldiers coming this 
way, and they are after you." They had been tu 
Portland, St. Johns, but not finding me there, were 
returning. I looked up, and saw them on the top 
of a little hill, not more than fifty yards distant. 
" What will you do ? " said my intended, " you 
will have to give yourself up." 

" No," I said, " I will show them a trick." 
There were two streets at my left, that ran 
nearly parallel, and led down to the sea side, which 
were about one hundred feet apart. I started to 
run down the one that was nearest me, and the 
picket of soldiers started down the other; seeing 
them go down the other street, I turned back, and 
came up with my " intended," and kept on for 
Portland. As I passed the street, I could not help 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 176 

laughing aloud, at seeing them run down the street 
in pursuit of me. 

I arrived at Portland without any trouble, and 
went to see a man that I knew would help me. I 
found him, and he told me that he would assist me 
in every way he could. 



176 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



Before I left Portland, I wanted to get married, 
and I had tried to get a license at the Register's of- 
fice, but could not without the consent of my com- 
manding officer. I went out, and fell in with two 
Irishmen, and asked them to go to the Register's 
office, and get a license in my name. They suc- 
ceeded in getting it, and I hurried back to where I 
left my " intended," and with her I went to a 
Methodist clergyman and was married, and giving 
my marriage certificate to my newly made wife, I 
bade her adieu, and left for the man whom I had 
stopped with. I exchanged clothes, and gave him 
my military suit, and when it was dark, started off. 

In the meantime, the regiment had started for 
Halifax, but had left a number of men, who with 
the police, were searching the country around for 
me. 

Before going into the wood, I went into a Scotch- 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 177 

man's house, and asked for something to eat. They 
would not give me anything, and I went on until I 
came to another house, where an Irishman lived, 
who gave me two potatoes and a piece of fish. I 
told him that I had just come from the house 
below. " Well, that fellow will inform against 
you," he said, knowing that I had escaped from 
the army, and taking out a gun. "Here," said he, 
" take this to defend yourself, and I will run the 
risk of your returning it." I took the gun, prom- 
ising to return it if I lived, and thanking him, left 
the house, and went into the forest. 

It was about 12 o'clock at night when I entered 
the woods, and although darkness covered the earth, 
it seemed all bright to me. I was now my own 
man, and felt like singing, but I had to keep si- 
lence here, knowing soldiers were stationed all 
around the forest. Having found a place to lie 
down, I slept well, and when I awoke, the sun was 
high in the heavens. In my haste to make my 
escape, I never once thought of taking any provis- 
ions with me, but it was in the fall of the year, 
when berries were ripe, or else I must have perish- 
ed, or given myself up. I found berries enough, 
and managed the first day to get a good living, and 



178 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

made up my mind to stay in the woods as long as 
I could. 

The second night I slept on the watch, knowing 
that not a man of the company would come near 
to take me in the day time, but fearing they might 
see and watch me until night came on, and after I 
was asleep, seize me. I had not much sleep, every 
noise I heard aroused me, and I would jump up, 
and present my gun at what I imagined was a 
person. 

The second day I picked some more berries, but 
found that they did not satisfy my cravings. I had 
been used to liquor every day, and to be deprived 
of it now, was as bad to me as taking away my 
bread, and I hardly know which I missed the most. 
I wandered around all tiie first part of the day, 
and as the sun began to sink in the heavens, I 
thought I would try my luck and see if I could 
not get out safely. I had taken particular notice 
of the wood, and the lay of the land, so that I 
could find my way out, and taking my course, 
started to go back. I walked quite briskly for about 
half an hour, and began to think that it was time 
for me to get out of the forest ; but I kept on some 
time. I had no idea that I had gone so far into 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 179 

the wood, but after walking some distance further, 
I came where I could see the open fields. 

I went along now cautiously, looking upon all 
sides, to see if any one was near ; but not seeing 
any person, I went out into a field. Finding my- 
self not far from the place where I entered the 
woods, I crossed the field, and went towards the 
road, and as I got near it, I saw two men coming 
in the road. If I should go back across the field, 
they would surely see me, so I laid down beside 
the fence, and as they came along, I heard one say, 
" He will be shrewd enough not to fall into their 
hands, I'll warrant you." " But," says the other, 
"how can he get out? the places are all guarded, 

and he cannot help being taken " and here I 

could not understand what was said. 

Well, I thought to myself, my chance is a hard 
one, and getting up, I looked about me, and saw a 
wagon coming along the road. I must keep still 
at present, or I shall be taken. What a fool, I said 
to myself, am I for coming out here, in open day. 
I might have known better, if I had stopped to 
consider, than to leave the wood. I waited until 
the wagon had passed, and then thought I would 
make for the forest, but as I looked, another 
wagon was coming, and I was thus kept there until 



180 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

night, when I returned to the forest, feeling thank- 
ful that it once more afforded me a secure retreat. 

I managed to get some berries, which partially sat- 
isfied my craving for food, and having selected a 
place to rest, I broke off some twigs, and spreading 
them around, I laid down to sleep. 

I staid in this wood just one week, when I 
made up my mind to get out, and go down where 
my wife lived and get something to eat, and run 
the risk of being taken, as I was almost starved. 

I went out to the edge of the wood, and when it 
was dark, took a back route, and went down to 
" Lower Cave," and as I was going through the 
streets, I met two of the sergeants. They knew 
me the moment they saw me, and I started on a 
run, and went into my wife's uncle's house, at the 
back door, the sergeants after me. I ran out of 
the front door, down to where my wife lived, and 
went into the house, and got something to eat and 
a cup of tea to drink, and bidding my wife good 
bye, I hurried out of the house, telling her that I 
would see her again before long. I went down the 
street, (it being dark, and the soldiers after me,) 
upon all-fours, like a dog, until I came to the sea 
side, and keeping near the water's edge, walked 
along until I came to a high cliff. I swam around 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLEB. 181 

the several cliffs that I came to, and traveled some 
over a mile, until I came to Marsh Bridge, and 
there I went past the guard, as I wished to see a 
couple of men that promised to help me escape by 
carrying me down the St. Johns river. I there saw 
two men, and they promised to come Tuesday 
morning, at three o'clock, and take me to the 
steamer "Maid of Erin," that was bound for the 
States. 

I went into the wood and remained until Tues- 
day, at three o'clock in the morning, when the two 
men came, and I went with them to where the 
steamer was, and got put down in the coal hole. 
The two men told the helmsman, that if he inform- 
ed against me, he had better not show himself in 
St. Johns again. I knew that before the steamer 
sailed a sergeant would come aboard, to see that 
there were no deserters secreted in her, so being 
acquainted with coal, I dug down, and covering 
myself with it, remained there until the sergeant 
had searched. 

After the steamer had got under way, I was not 
so careful, but showed myself upon deck, and the 
ticket master coming along, wanted my fare, which 
was two dollars. Having but one dollar, I got the 



182 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

helmsman to lend me another, and told him that 
my wife would pay him. 

I intended to get out at Eastport, but as there 
was a severe storm, the boat could not land, 
and I went to Portland, Me. When the boat 
touched the wharf, I jumped out, and asked the 
captain, who was upon the deck, if I was on " Yan- 
kee land ? " " Yes," says the captain, staring at 
me, as I jumped up and gave three cheers, " but 
are you Sergeant Ambler ? " " That's my name," 
I said. The captain turned and went below. 

Now I felt that T was free, and turning around, 
hardly knew what to do, I felt so happy ; it had 
been so long since I had enjoyed freedom, that I 
was like a bird let out of a cage. I felt that I Avas 
in a new world ; the great country that I had 
heard of from my youth up, and for which I had 
sighed when in the lonely hours of night I kept 
my sentry watch, or when beneath a scorching sun 
I inarched many a weary mile, was now before me. 
This free country, of which so many songs were 
heard around the tap-room bar, as we would quaff 
the ale, and jovially pass the time away, I had now 
reached. 

As I stood upon the wharf, what prospects seem- 
ed to be before me ! Everything looked beautiful 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 183 

to me, and I thought that at last I had reached a 
land where I could enjoy life. No more court 
martials to be tried before, no more shall I be 
brought before commanding officers, to answer to 
charges brought against me. And above all these, 
I thought, no more liquor to take away my reason, 
and make me incapable of performing the duties 
incumbent upon me. No more restraints upon my 
actions, and I can now live as I choose, and go 
where I wish. Had I been permitted to look 
into the future, I should have shuddered at the 
gloomy, wretched prospect before me, and should 
have turned with disgust back from the country 
that looked so beautiful, and returned to the army. 
How thankful should we be that the future, with its 
weal or woe, cannot be revealed to us. 

I thought that I stood in the same position that 
the Pilgrim fathers did. They left their native 
land for this country, to free themselves from tyr- 
anny and oppression. But I thought again, that no 
friends welcomed them, and the bustle that greeted 
me they did not witness. They landed indeed in 
a strange land ; the wild animal was lord there, 
and forest trees covered these shores. How great 
the change ! Friends were here to welcome me. 



184 LIFE CF ISAAC W. ABIBLEK. 

I knew that there were several who had escaped 
from the army. 

And as these thoughts came upon me, I could 
not but uncover my head, and pay a tribute of re- 
spect to the noble land that sheltered and defended 
so many of my countrymen. Only those who 
have passed through the scenes that I have, can 
realize the emotions that were stirred within me, 
as I stepped upon the land of freedom. 






LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 185 



'CHAPTER XIX. 



I went up into the city, and as I came near the 
sugar house, I met a woman that knew me, and she 
said, u There is Sergeant Ambler coming." Her 
husband belonged to the artillery, and had a short 
time before made his escape from St. Johns. 

She asked me into her house, and gave some- 
thing to eat. With what eagerness I seized the 
food and devoured it, for I had been without so 
long, that I was nearly starved. When I went on 
board the steamboat, I had a small piece of bread, 
which I ate, and as that was all that I had eaten 
for three days, I now felt very hungry and weak. 

I informed her that I had got away from the 
army at last, and that I supposed it was easier for 
her to get along here than it was in the other 
country, when she stood behind the tap-room bar — 
she used to sell liquor in St. Johns. " What do 
you mean?" she asked. 



186 LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLEK. 

" Why, that they do not sell rum here in this 
place." 

She laughed, and said, " I guess that you'll find 
as much liquor as you will want here." 

" Why," I said, " I thought there was a law here 
that forbids liquor selling. I have heard the peo- 
ple in St. Johns speak of it." 

" You wait here a short time, and you can judge 
for yourself," she said. 

I remained a short time there, and soon her 
husband came, who appeared very glad to see me, 
and after lighting our pipes, I told over my adven- 
tures that I had passed through in making my 
escape. He also related to me what success he 
had met with in the " Yankee land," as we desig- 
nated the United States. I informed him of my 
marriage, and that my wife was in St. Johns, and 
that if I obtained work here, that I intended to 
send for her. 

" Well, come Ambler," he said, " let me show 
you around a little," and he took me out into a 
back room, and pulled out a keg from under the 
bed, and drew off some liquor, and filling up a 
glass, presented it to me, which I drank. It had 
been so long since I had drank, that it created an 






LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 187 

intolerable thirst for more, and before I was fully 
aware of it, I was intoxicated. 

I stopped in that back room that night, and the 
next morning went to find work, and was success- 
ful in getting a chance on the railroad, shoveling 
gravel. I received one dollar per day, which I 
thought was great pay, and that I could live and 
drink like a hero, not taking into consideration 
that things were more than twice as high here as 
they were in England. I worked here, with noth- 
ing on my feet but a pair of slippers, in the water 
sometimes knee deep, but my "boss," taking pity 
upon me, gave me a nice pair of thick boots. I 
worked here about three weeks before I settled, 
and found that a good part of what money I re- 
ceived, would have to go to pay for the liquor that 
I drank, as L took it regularly, night and morning, 
and I found that it was sold some higher here per 
glass. 

While I was working here, I got a letter written 
to my wife, telling her that I had obtained work, 
and that I should like for her to come here. 

My wife's father lived at D , and owned a 

fine farm there. He was a ship-builder, and trans- 
acted considerable business, but he died in the 
midst of it, and thus left many unsettled accounts, 



188 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

and as there was no one to look out for the prop- 
erty, it was soon reduced, and the fine farm had to 
be sold. 

The family then moved to St. Johns, and as they 
went in the first society, and lived in good style, 
they had to keep up appearances, which they did, 
by selling piece after piece of their furniture, as it 
could be spared. When I first became acquainted 
with my wife, they were somewhat reduced in cir- 
cumstances. 

My wife was not aware that I was such a drink- 
ing man as I was ; for if she had been aware of it, 
she would never have come to Portland to live 
with me. I had always kept pretty sober when I 
was going to see her ; and if, when under the influ- 
ence of liquor, I met her upon the street, I would 
keep as distant as possible, and take the first oppor- 
tunity to absent myself ; and although she was told 
by others, she could not believe that I was as bad 
as they represented me. I soon received a letter, 
telling me that my wife would come in the boat 
such a day. I was at the wharf on the arrival of 
the boat, and met my wife, and we went to the 
place that I had stopped, and remained there that 
night ; but as they could not accommodate us, I 
went to look for a tenement, as my wife had 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 189 

brought some furniture with her. 1 did not suc- 
ceed very well, but obtained an attic, into which we 
moved ; it was a miserable place. We could see 
through the roof, and could tell very quickly when it 
rained. I did not like my situation on the rail- 
road, and I therefore went to the gas-works, and 
obtained a situation in the purifying house, where I 
received the same pay. Soon after I obtained this 
situation, I moved into a tenement in the house of 
my employer, named Barker, who took quite an in- 
terest in me, and did many favors for me, which I 
never shall forget. 

In a short time I moved again into the upper 
part of the city, into an old house, and while there 
my wife was taken sick and confined to her bed. 
During her sickness I still had to work, thus leaving 
her alone until I returned from my labor. She 
was very sick, and while thus she made me promise 
that I would leave off drinking. She was sick a 
short time, and then she began to recover, and as 
soon as she got about, I forgot my promise, and 
drank the same as ever. The house that we lived 
in was so cold that we could not keep ourselves 
comfortable, and I therefore got a tenement down 
by the sugar house ; and soon after I moved, my 
wife's mother came to visit us. 



190 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

: It was now near the spring election, and in the 
shop where I obtained my liquor, all of the talk was 
upon that subject ; and we were told that if such 
a man was elected, that we should get no liquor, 
and that if we were suspected of keeping any at 
our houses, that we were liable to have our homes 
searched. I wished, from the bottom of my heart 
(as all poor drunkards do) that all strong drinks 
were out of the way ; but then the rumseller told 
us that assembled there, that our rights were as- 
sailed ; and as I was a great stickler for rights, of 
course my indignation was aroused, and with the 
rest I loudly asserted that I would never submit to 
have my home searched. This was a constant 
theme for some time before the election, and al- 
though I was not a voter, I felt as much interest in 
the result as any one. The day of the election 
came, and I was treated, as about all were, to 
plenty of rum ; and we were told that at night 
they — that is, the rummies, were going to give Neal 
Dow* a serenade. I was in for it, witli the rest of 
them, as I was intoxicated, and at night I was 
amongst the gang of ruffians, as I look upon them 
now, and went with them to his residence. There 

* I have had, since that time, the pleasure of asking the gentle- 
man's pardon. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 19 L 

we commenced our unearthly strains, and made the 
air resound with our noise, and night hideous. No 
notice was taken of our demoniac exhibitions, and 
at last we left disgusted, or I was, with the eve- 
ning's entertainment. 

I drank so hard that my wife's mother could not 
put up with it, and she got me to go with her to 
New York, where she had a son. When I arrived 
there, her son showed me around the city and the 
suburbs ; but as they lived in good style, and as I 
was not used to it, I did not feel at home ; so the 
next morning, before they were up, I started off, 
and went to an island near, where there was a regi- 
ment of soldiers, and saw many there that I knew. 
They wanted me to go with them to California, as 
that was the place they were ordered to ; but I 
would not go, and I soon left the island. I since 
learned that every man of the regiment was lost 
on their passage. I took the steamboat for Boston, 
and arriving there, I went into the fort, and with 
some other soldiers got intoxicated, and hardly 
know myself where I did pass the time ; but I 
stopped there three days, and then took the boat 
for Portland, and when I arrived there, I had not a 
cent in my pocket. The 4th of July, 1852, I was 
living in Portland, and the morning after the 4th, 
having nothing in the house to eat, I started out, and 



192 LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

in going up the street I found twenty-live cents, and 
I had gone but a short distance further before I 
picked up twenty-five cents more. With this money 
I went into a provision store, and bought me some 
beef, and carried it home. I obtained a chance to 
work in the foundry, and whilst in there, I used to 
drink hard, and neglect home. About this time an 
incident happened that came near depriving me of 
my liberty that I prized so dear. I was going to 
the Depot one day, when a soldier met me that had 
escaped from the same regiment that I did, and he 
said, " Sergeant Ambler, your old captain has just 
gone aboard the Admiral." 

" Well," I said, I will go down and see him." 

" If you do, you will be taken," said the deserter, 

" for he is after , and a number of others that 

have escaped." 

" I will risk his taking me, and I am going down 
to see him," I said, and starting off, I went down 
to the wharf, and went on board the steamer ; but 
not seeing the captain on deck, I went down into 
the cabin, and there I saw him. The moment he 
saw me, he said, " Ah ! Sergeant Ambler, how do 
you do ?" 

I took off my hat, as I was accustomed to do in 
the army, and saluted him, and said that I was 
pretty well ; and looking towards him at the same 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 193 

time, I noticed his wife in the state-room, and being 
acquainted with her, I went in and spoke to her ; 
and as I turned to come out, I found the door fast. 
I put my shoulder against it and broke it open, and 
as I stepped out into the cabin, the captain said, 
" You are my prisoner." Paying no attention to 
his words, I hurried out of the cabin and jumped 
upon the wharf, and then I turned to my former 
captain that had followed me, and said, " Good bye, 
Captain, I will meet you again," and then turned 
to go home. The excitement had taken my strength 
almost all away. Arriving home, I found my wife 
almost crazy, as some one had told her that I was 
taken a prisoner, and was carried off in the Admi- 
ral ; but my presence put an end to her grief, and I 
felt pleased in getting away so easily. 



194 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 



CHAPTER, XX. 



I did not feel quite at home in Portland after 
my adventure with the captain, and one day I was 
going towards the depot, when I saw a loom. I 
was somewhat surprised, as I had not seen one 
since I left England, and inquired of a man where 
it was going. He informed me that it was going to 
the mills in Saco, Me. I went home to my wife 
with an idea in my head, and telling her that I 
meant to follow that loom, I found her perfectly 
willing. 

The next day I settled in the foundry, and took 
the cars for Saco, and arriving there, went down to 
the mills, but they would not let me go in ; so I 
went over to Biddeford, on the other side of the 
river, and went into the Pepperell counting room, 
and got a permit. I went into the weave room, 
and met a fellow countrymen, and asked him for 
work. " What can thee do, lad? " he asked in the 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 195 

Yorkshire tone. I replied in the same tone, that I 
wanted to learn to weave, and that I used to weave 
when in England. He said that he would take me, 
and the next morning I went in and commenced 
work. I was placed in charge of a man to learn 
me to weave, but when I had worked two hours, 
he went to the overseer, and asked him what he 
meant in fooling him, for the fellow, he said, can 
weave as well as 1 can. The overseer then came, 
and put me upon two looms, and the next day I 
commenced to work upon four, and earned one 
dollar a day. 

I worked about three weeks, and then I went 
after my wife. I moved my furniture to Bidde- 
ford, and not getting me a tenement, I boarded out 
on Alfred Street. I went back into the mill, and 
soon run eight looms a day, having a small girl to 
shuttle " cops " for me. 

I took my wife into the room where I worked, 
and learned her to weave, and we both used to 
make about sixty dollars a month. I paid thirteen 
dollars and fifty cents per month for my board, and 
of the balance of my money, I am sorry to say, the 
most of it went for liquor. I did not get drunk, 
but I could take quite a number of glasses a day, 
which at tho end of the month, would make quite 



196 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

a bill. 1 bad drunk mucb liquor in my life, but 
tbe " Yankee liquor " did not agree with me as 
well as that which I got in the British dominions, 
and I was taken sick, and went up into the country, 
out of the way of liquor, and soon recovered. 
When I returned, I went into the mill again, and 
kept pretty steady, and in a month we had saved 
up fifty dollars. I felt pretty well pleased, and 
began to think about going to house-keeping ; so I 
moved to Sullivan Street, and as soon as I had got 
settled, my wife's mother came from New York, 
to visit us. I felt the importance of making every 
thing tell, and invested a part of my funds in a 
couple of pigs, and fixing up a place for them, I 
put them into their new quarters. I felt well 
pleased with my'pigs, as they were the first animals 
I ever owned, and took real comfort in looking 
over at them. 

All went smoothly for about a week, when a small 
boy came into the mill, and reported to me that 
my pigs had broken out of barracks, and that my 
wife's mother, with an escort of boys, was after 
the deserters, but had not succeeding in arresting 
them. I went to the overseer, and asked him to 
let me go out and find my pigs, but he would not. 
I remained in the mill as long as I could ; I seemed 
to see my pigs running before me as I went about 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 197 

my work, and feeling that necessity demanded it, 
I went out to find them. I went to my house, 
but my pigs were not there. I then started and 
went back upon the heights, and met my wife's 
mother with her escort, returning in triumph with 
the prisoners, in a bushel basket. I carried my 
pigs home, and secured them in the pen, and then 
returned to the mill, to my work, informing the 
workmen that I had been successful ; but they 
made fun of my pigs, and my wife laughed at me. 

Those two pigs were the instruments in bringing 
considerable trouble upon me. My overseer pro- 
posed that I should stand treat, as I had found my 
pigs, and I could not well refuse. We went out, 
and I treated him, but as soon as I had the first 
glass I wanted another, and thus I went on, until I 
got intoxicated. I stopped out of the mill a week, 
and spent all the money that I had, and then my 
glasses that I ran in debt for, were chalked down 
upon the door. The man's name that kept the 
shop was Swindle, (a name very appropriate to his 
business), and he had chalked down to me, besides 
what I had spent, three dollars, and to get his pay, 
he wanted me to sell my pigs. I took my pigs one 
morning, after I had got partially over ray spree, 
one under each arm, and started off to find a cus- 



198 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

tomer. I found one on Alfred Street, and disposed 
of both of them, and meeting some persons that I 
knew, I invited them into Swindle's, and before I 
left, we had drank my pigs all up. I got quite in- 
toxicated while in the shop, and had some light 
skirmishing. One young man I thought had in- 
sulted me, and I watched an opportunity to chastise 
him, but did not get a chance when in the shop. 
When he went out, I followed, and overtaking him 
upon Adams Street, I commenced to box him, 
when escaping from me, he seized a large stone 
and threw it at me, but fortunately it did not strike 
me. He then started on a run, and I followed, but 
not making much progress in running, he escaped. 
I went back to the shop, and after getting a few 
more glasses, I started for home. I succeeded in 
getting as far as Alfred Street, but even in that 
short distance, a number of persons ran against 
me, and once I got against the broadside of a 
building, and it seemed to whirl around so that it 
was with the utmost difficulty I made my way 
along ; and the last I remember for the night, I 
was by the side of the road, trying to find my hat 
in the gutter. Early in the morning I came to 
myself, and found that I was in the mud. I crawl- 
ed out, looking rather sheepish, and made my way 
towards home. I souu became sobered, and felt 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 199 

very bad that I had spent my money, and thus 
made a beast of myself; and I went back to work, 
with the determination to keep steady, that is, only 
to take my regular dram. I thought that I could 
not get along without that, as I had a great por- 
tion of my life been accustomed to it. 

I had been at work pretty steadily for three 
months, when my overseer asked me one day if I 
should not like to go out and take a drop. As I 
could never resist an invitation, I went out with 
him and his brother into a liquor shop, where the 
overseer treated us, and I followed. We drank 
quite a number of glasses, and going over into 
Saco, we drank more there ; and, to finish our 
day's recreation, the overseer proposed that we 
should go up by the rail road bridge, and have a 
swing. We went up by the side of the river, and 
while there, the overseer laid down upon the bank, 
and fell asleep. His brother proposed, as he had 
only treated once, to rob him, and to treat our- 
selves, to which I readily assented. We searched 
his pockets, but found no money there ; but I knew 
that he had money about him, and I was not dis- 
heartened yet, and pulling off his boots, I found in 
his stockings forty-one dollars. When his brother 
saw it, he said, u Now we will have a spree, let us 



200 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

go over to Saco again." " I am ready," I said, 
and starting off, we went over, leaving the overseer 
asleep upon the ground. 

When we arrived at Saco, we went into a shop, 
and we called for some liquor and drank it, and I 
paid for it with my own money, as I had some left. 
My companion wanted me to break into the money, 
but as I had some left of my own, I would not. We 
soon went over to Biddeford, and I gave the money 
to my wife, telling her at the same time where I 
obtained it. The next morning, when I went into 
the mill, the overseer, the moment he saw me, be- 
came very much excited, and with harsh language 
asked me where his money was. " I have not your 
money," I replied. He soon left me, but my wife 
came in soon, and going over where he was, gave 
him the money, and told the circumstances about 
it. He felt so well pleased that he went out and 
brought in a bottle of brandy and treated us, un- 
known to my wife. 

I was in the habit of going with a scout into the 
woods every Sunday, to learn them the military 
drill, and to go through the sword exercise, and 
thus pass God's day. We often ended in a regular 
drunken skirmish, and returned home carrying the 
marks of war upon us. 



LJFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 201 



CHAPTER XXI. 



As I went to and from my work, I noticed a 
pretty and very polite little fellow that kept a sa- 
loon in Dudley's block. When I met him, he would 
most of the time have a covered basket, and many 
were the conjectures that were made in regard as to 
what he carried in that basket. I thought one 
day that I would go into his shop, and see if he kept 
anything to drink. I therefore went in and asked 
him for a glass of ale, which he gave me, and I 
thought that it tasted much better than that which 
I obtained at other places. I followed getting my 
beer regularly here for some time, and was treated 
so politely by the keeper of the shop that I could 
not help thinking how foolish I had been in getting 
my liquor at the low holes, as I thought they were, 
that I had been accustomed to. In a room in the 
back part of the shop was a domino table, around 
which quite a number of young men would be 
9* 



202 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

seated every night. I used to be called quite a 
skillful player when I was in the army, and the 
table attracted my attention, and I soon commenced 
to play there, and used to win tickets which I would 
spend for beer. One evening, while playing there, 
I noticed a teamster coming into the shop, and he 
made some motions, upon which the keeper reached 
under the counter (I had my eye upon him) and 
taking a cover from a butter-firkin, pulled out a de- 
canter, out of which he turned a glass of liquor, 
and handed to the teamster, who drank it down in 
a hurry. 1 soon finished the game, and arose and 
asked the keeper for a glass of that article that he 
kept under the counter. 

" Won't you say anything about it ?" he asked. 

" Of course not," I replied. 

The keeper then turned out a stiff glass, and 
telling me to drink quick, I eagerly seized it, and 
drank it instantly. I never drank such liquor be- 
fore ; I thought that it would truly burn me up, 
and in my eagerness to get some water, I kicked 
over the domino table, and made considerable con- 
fusion before I succeeded. 

" What kind of liquor do you call that ?" I asked. 

" Why, that is the fourth-proof brandy, and the 
very best that can be obtained," he replied. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 203 

" We never have such liquor as that in the old 
country," I said. 

"Ah! you get cheated there; they don't care 
what they sell to a man, and they probably water it 
considerably before selling, but we don't treat our 
customers so." 

I felt quite satisfied with the reasons that he had 
given me, and thought that I had found a place 
where I could get good liquor. 

There was one young man who visited that place, 
a free-hearted and pleasant fellow, that did not 
spend his tickets for liquor, (that he won by playing 
dominoes,) but for custards. The keeper of the 
saloon, when settlement was near in the ship-yard, 
would bake up some two or three dozens of cus- 
tards expressly for this young man, who always 
came in as soon as settlement, and commence at 
one end of the custard board, and " sweep all be- 
fore him." And it was a common saying among 
the frequenters of the saloon, when it was near set- 
tlement, to say that it was about " custard time." 
I continued to get my liquor at this place, and of 
course I got it on " tick," which I would square up 
every settlement, paying from five to ten dollars for 
liquor per month. 

One night, while in this saloon, I took quite a 



204 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

number of glasses, and when he shut his shop up, 
I heard the sound of a fiddle behind it in a small 
house. Having some pork, and beans, and herring, 
for my Sunday dinner, as this was Saturday night, 
I buried them in the snow, and then went up to the 
house and went in. I was acquainted with a num- 
ber, and joined in the dance with them. After 
having danced a short time, a woman asked me if 
I was not going to treat, upon which I ordered a 
quart, which was brought and drank ; and after 
drinking I said something that enraged some of 
them, and they seized hold of me to put me out of 
the house. I knocked down quite a number, but 
they overpowered me, and put me out, minus my 
hat and part of my coat. I felt that I was an in- 
jured man, and I started upon a run for the watch- 
man, at the covered bridge, but as I went running 
towards him bare-headed, without my hat, he took 
to his heels and ran with all his might, and finding 
that I could get no help, I determined to venture 
into the house again. I went in, and found that 
they had broken the fiddle, and were abusing the 
fiddler. I took his part, but being the weaker 
party, we were roughly handled, and put out of the 
house into the street. I went and found my pro- 
visions that I had secreted in the snow, and having 
found my hat, I started towards home with my com- 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 205 

pauion, who made a grab at niy herrings, taking a 
number of them. I told him that if he was not 
peaceable that I should box him ; but he paid no 
attention to it, but made another levy upon my 
herrings. This somewhat aroused me, when I be- 
gan to box him, giving him a pretty severe whip- 
ping, but lost some of my provisions. I went home 
in somewhat a dilapidated condition, and 1 have 
found ever since that " those that dance must pay 
the fiddler." One night I was in the " Yankee 
Saloon," as the English termed it; and as he did 
not have much liquor, I went into an Irish house, 
and there I met an Englishman, and we drank to- 
gether, and in the course of the evening we got to 
quarrelling, and he challenged me to fight him. 
At that time I was ready for a challenge, and we 
went out in the street ; the snow was some two 
feet deep, and we fought some two hours. We 
both found ourselves in a sorry plight at the close 
of our long contested conflict. I remember going 
home feeling rather ashamed. I tried to keep 
steady again, and succeeded in doing so about one 
month, and saved up a little money, and with it 
I bought me a watch, the first one I ever owned. 
Soon after I bought my watch, I thought I would 
show myself in the saloon kept by the polite fel- 
low in Dudley's block. I had not been in there for 



206 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

some time before, and when I entered the keeper 
remarked, " What a stranger you are !" " Yes, I 
am somewhat a stranger," I replied. " Come and 
take a glass, will yon ?" he asked. " I never re- 
fuse," I replied, going up to the counter, and drink- 
ing the liquor that he set before me. 

I drank quite a number of glasses that evening, 
and traded watches a number of times, and made 
something in trading. I followed up trading 
watches, and made some forty dollars, which I soon 
spent on a spree, and sold the watch that I had left 
for five dollars, which I spent for drink. After I 
recovered from my spree, I again said that I would 
keep steady, and I kept so for some six weeks, and 
then one morning I was told that I was a father ; 
and as it was the custom in the old country to take 
a drop, and as I felt happy, I went to the saloon 
and obtained me a glass, and then another, and be- 
came quite intoxicated, and remained so for some 
three weeks. When 1 came to myself, I told my 
wife that it would not answer for me to stop in Bid- 
deford, and asked her one night to make me up a 
bundle of clothes, and then I would leave Bidde- 
ford, and try and find some place where I could 
work without getting drunk. My wife picked my 
things up, and one morning, bidding her good bye, 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 207 

I started off. I went up on the heights, and then 
turned around, and looked back to the house. I 
felt bad to leave my wife, and thought to myself 
tli at if liquor was out of the way, how happy I could 
live, and what comfort and pleasure I could take in 
life. I thought some of returning, " but it's no 
use," I said to myself, " if I stop here, I shall die," 
and turning my back towards my home, I walked 
away. I continued my way until I came opposite 
the rum shop kept by Swindle, and I thought, that 
as I was about leaving town, I would go in and bid 
my friend good bye. I entered his shop, and told 
him where I was going. 

" Well, take a glass before you go," he said, 
taking down a decanter. "I don't care if I do," I 
replied ; and drinking it down, I was upon the 
point of leaving, when an acquaintance of mine 
proffered me another glass, which I drank. I did 
not intend to get intoxicated, but was bent upon 
getting out of Biddeford. I therefore bade the 
keeper good day, and went up to the depot, and 
went into the ticket office, and producing a two 
dollar bill, I asked the man to give me a ticket to 
carry me as far as they could for the money. "Do 
you wish to go down ?" he asked. " No, sir," I re- 
plied, " I have been going down for some time, and 



208 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

I want to go up now." He gave mo a ticket, with 
some change, for Newburyport. I waited some 
time for the cars, and when they came I went 
aboard, and got out at Newburyport. I was in 
rather a poor condition ; I looked as if I had been 
dropped from the bag that is generally carried on 
behind a tin-man's cart. 

I went down to the mills, and succeeded in get- 
ting a situation in the Ocean Mills, and my em- 
ployer obtained a boarding place for me. I went 
to work the next morning, and kept pretty steady 
for about a month. At the end of the month I 
wrote to my wife, (I had learned to write, so that 
with some labor she could decipher it,) and sent 
her the balance of the money that I had left after 
paying my board. I owed a small grocery bill in 
Bid dp. ford, and as my wife was about to move, the 
furniture was attached ; but my wife's mother paid 
the bill, and she moved to Newburyport, where I 
was. I met her at the depot, and as I had a tene- 
ment ready to move into, we soon got settled in our 
new quarters, and my wife felt well pleased with 
the change. I told her that I had not drank since 
I left Biddeford. I kept steady for a short time 
after my wife and her mother came ; but one even- 
ing, as I was in the store where I obtained my 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 209 

provisions, I saw the keeper hand a man a small 
flask, and immediately my old appetite was aronsed, 
and I went home and procured a small bottle, and 
returning to the store, I had it filled with brandy, 
and put down in my store book as groceries. I had 
gone but a short distance, before I drank the 
whole of it. I went to the house, and went to bed, 
without my wife's knowing that I had been drink- 
ing. The bottle I would get filled regularly every 
other night ; but my wife soon began to mistrust 
me, and when the month was out, and she saw the 
bill that we owed for groceries, she was astonished. 
But I told her that grocery bills would tell up fast, 
and that I expected our bill would be somewhere 
about that amount. But she was not satisfied, and 
said that if I would leave off trading at that place, 
she would go into the mill to work. I left that 
place, and found another, and my wife went to 
work, leaving the child to the care of her mother. 
I am surprised, as I look back upon my past ca- 
reer, to see what a life I led ; but I know that the 
bad, as well as the good, must go together in making 
up these pages, and that I should fail to give my 
life, unless I told the scenes that I have passed 
through, although I often blush to think of them. 



210 LIFE OF ISAAC W. A.MBLBB. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



At the place where I now obtained my groceries, 
I found that there was more liquor sold than at the 
old place, and in a short time I drank as hard as 
ever. I made the acquaintance of some English- 
men who were great drinkers, and we used to have 
some merry times together, and as I was a pretty 
good singer, these fellows would get me to go out 
evenings and sing, and then treat me to liquor. 
We used to frequent a certain rum shop, and play 
cards until morning, and then I would go home and 
get a little sleep, and then go to my work at the 
usual time ; this I followed up for some weeks. 
The Sabbath day I would join a scout of fellows 
who went off to play cards. I would not play, 
but would keep watch while the others did. 

One Sunday 1 went down to a liquor shop, and 
the keeper told me that there was a smart fencer in 
the place, and that he had challenged me to fight 
with the sticks, saying that the one who received 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 211 

the first blow should pay for a pint of gin. I ac 
cepted the challenge, and the man was brought in, 
and I was introduced to him. We went into a large 
cellar, and rinding a couple of broom handles, we 
commenced in good earnest. I soon found that I 
had a hard one to deal with, and I brought out all 
the skill that I was master of; and at last, by a 
dexterous movement, I struck his arm, knocking 
the stick instantly from his hand. The keeper of 
this shop was out of liquor, but he said that he 
could get some at the shop that supplied him ; and 
taking a jug, he started off, and soon returned with 
some gin, as he said, and tasting of it, he pro- 
nounced it good liquor. Turning out three glass- 
es, he mixed them up, and then passed them to 
us, and we all three drank a glass. I thought 
that the first glass that I drank at the " Yankee 
Saloon," at Biddeford, was strong, but it was 
nothing compared with this. It was something 
like taking down live coals, and I fairly yelled with 
pain, while the other two rolled upon the floor. I 
said to the keeper that it was the hottest stuff that 
I ever took into my throat. I hardly knew what to 
do ; the keeper took to his bed, and as I could not 
rest, I went out of the shop towards home. As I 
was going along on the street, I thought I should 
burn up. I told my wife that I had drank some 



212 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

gin down to F's., and that I thought he had made 
a mistake, and given me fluid. I could not rest at 
home, and I therefore went down to the rum shop 
again, and found him in as bad, if not in a worse 
condition than I was. We sent to the place where 
the gin came from, and found out that the man had 
made a mistake, and sent us fluid. I took an oath 
that if I got out of this scrape, I would never drink 
again. I went to work, and kept steady for a short 
time, and at settlement, when I went to pay my bill 
at the grocery store, the keeper wanted to know 
what the trouble was, that my bill was so small. I 
told him that I was going to be a temperate man. 
The next day I went after some groceries, and as he 
had just taken in a fresh supply of liquor, the keep- 
er said, " Now, Ambler, we have got some of the 
best of English cogniac, and I want you to come in 
and take a glass." He knew that if he could get me 
to take one glass, that I should want another. I 
looked at the door where he used to chalk the 
glasses down against me, and the last time that I 
was in there, the two panels of the door were cov- 
ered with chalk marks, but now they were all 
rubbed out ; they were all settled. I was ponder- 
ing what to do, when the voice of the keeper 
aroused me. " Come," he said, " I'm bound to 
treat you at my expense." I drank the liquor, and 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 213 

soon the chalk marks began to make their appear- 
ance upon the door again. I went that night with 
my old associates, and we had a drinking party. 

The next day I staid out of the mill, and in 
company with six others, went on a " spree." At 
night we went into an Englishman's house, and 
drank and sung, and at last got to fighting, and 
broke the furniture, and did some other damage 
before we left. I started to go home, and it was 
raining very hard, and as I went past a saloon, 
I heard a cry for help. I rushed in, and saw a 
colored man with a wound on his head, occasioned 
by a drunken sailor's throwing an oyster plate at 
him. When I entered, the colored man was in the 
act of seizing the sailor, but quite a number of his 
companions interposed. I always joined the weak- 
est party, and I therefore immediately seized the 
sailor, and sung out for the police, who soon came 
in ; and I helped him carry the drunken sailor to 
the watch-house. His companions started after 
me, being angry, as soon as the police left, and I 
ran down into a lumber yard, near the water. 
They searched sometime for me, and one man took 
hold of the stick of lumber that I was behind, but 
as it was quite dark, he did not see me. They 
soon left, and I came out of my hiding place, feel- 
ing very uncomfortable, as I was wet through. As 



214 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

I went towards my home, I passed by the house 
where my grocery man lived, and as I was wet 
through, I thought I would get a glass of gin, and 
going up the steps before the door, I stepped upon 
a verandah, and as I could hardly see, I walked off 
from it, and fell some twelve feet, and struck on 
my head upon the ground. I was senseless for 
some time, and when I came to myself, the rain 
was beating in my face. I got up, but I felt dread- 
fully. I was wounded badly, I knew, for I could 
hardly walk. I did not know where I was, but 
going up to a house, I asked where Russia Street 
was. I was told that it was the next street above, 
pointing in the direction for me to take. 1 went 
up to the next street, and entering it, I came to a 
house that looked like the one that I lived in, and 
I went up and knocked, and my wife came to the 
door, but as the wind blew, she shaded the lamp so 
that I could not see her face, and I asked, "Does 
Mr. Ambler live here ? " She was frightened, 
thinking that I was indeed out of my head, and 
when I went in she almost fainted, as my face was 
bruised badly. She thought at first that it was 
done in a drunken row, but I told her that I had 
had a fall that occasioned it. In a few days I had 
recovered so that I was enabled to go to my work. 
I told my wife, soon after, that I wanted to move, 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 215 

as I 'never had any luck in the house. I found my 
wife liked the proposal, and I immediately went 
before breakfast and obtained a tenement, and bor- 
rowing a wheelbarrow, I moved all our things to 
my new quarters upon it, as the tenement was but 
a short distance off. I went to work again in the 
mill, and kept pretty steady at my work, only tak- 
ing my glass regularly every morning ; and strange 
to say, these regular glasses did not make me have 
an appetite for more, as it did if I took a glass at 
other times. My grocery bill was so largo at the 
end of the month that we could make just money 
enough to pay it. 

One afternoon, as I was out of the mill, I went 
into the store and got some liquor. It made my 
head dizzy, and I went home and laid down upon 
the bed. My wife, knowing what the trouble was, 
and thinking it was high time to stop my drinking, 
went down to the grocery store, and told the keeper 
that if he sold me another glass of liquor she would 
inform against him. She returned to the house, 
and soon after I arose, feeling rather disagreeably, 
and took a small flask and went down to the store, 
and asked the keeper to fill it. 

"I can't sell you any more liquor," he said, "for 
your wife has been here, and forbidden it." 



216 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

I was enraged upon hearing this, and swore .that 
I was under no woman's thumb, and that I would 
learn her better than to meddle with my business. 
" I'll tell you what I ean do," said the keeper ; 
" she forbade my selling you a glass of liquor ; I 
will sell you a pint, and can charge it upon the 
store book as pork, and your wife need not know 
any thing about it." As pork was ninepence per 
pound, my pint of brandy would be equal to two 
pounds of pork. I thought it was an excellent way 
to get over the difficulty ; but I am sure I should 
never have thought of this way if the rumseller had 
not proposed it. It probably was not a new method 
to him. I obtained the brandy, and upon my book 
it was put down, " two pounds of pork, at twelve 
and a half cents per pound, twenty-five cents." I 
went home feeling somewhat displeased with my 
wife ; but as I had a pint of liquor with me, I came 
to the conclusion not to say as much as I intended 
to in the outset. I arrived at home, and going into 
the house, I said, " Well, wife, things have come to 
a pretty pass, that I am not allowed to take a glass 
of liquor." 

" I have stood your drinking as long as I intend 
to ; and you have made our home unhappy long 
enough, and nowl intend to see if I can't stop it," she 
said. We had quite a talk, and I thought as soon as 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 217 

I drank the pint of liquor that I had in my pocket, 

I would not drink any more. I soon left the room, 

and went down in the cellar, and drank my liquor ; 

and then, hiding the bottle, I went up-stairs, and 

told my wife that I should not go out that evening. 

My wife felt well pleased with my determination, 

and I felt well repaid in staying at home. It was 

the first evening that I had spent at home for some 

time ; and, although I felt happy, yet I missed my 

companions, and I have no doubt but that I was 

missed in the den where I was accustomed to spend 

my leisure time. I had no idea that my habits had 

such a hold upon me, and it was indeed not without 

a struggle that I stopped at home that evening. 

Oh ! how I wished that I could break the chain that 

bound me, for I felt that I was in bondage ; but I 

could not subdue the appetite that was leading me, 

step by step, down to a drunkard's grave. " Where 

will this end ?" I asked myself, as I looked back 

upon the downward road that 1 had traveled. I 

did not ask the help of God. I did not come to Him 

who is able to save the poor drunkard, and ask for 

that grace and that assistance that He alone can 

give ; but I made resolutions in my own strength, 

and endeavored, without Divine assistance, to break 

off my evil habits. 

I kept pretty steady at my work a short time ; 
io 



218 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

but, as it was coming cold weather, the evenings 
grew longer, and as I did not like to spend long 
evenings at home, I sought my old companions in 
the rum shops. I had only got pork twice at my 
grocer's ; but my bill was so large that I could not 
pay it at the end of the month, and as it was 
now settlement, the keeper of the store said he 
wanted me to square up, as he intended to close up 
business. I told him that I did not have money 
enough to settle my rum and grocery bill, but that 
I would pay for my groceries, and that he might 
take a dining set that I had to his store, and sell it, 
and take his pay. Soon after 1 left my crockery 
ware at the shop he failed, and meeting me one 
day on the street, he said : 

" Ambler, you owe me five dollars, and T want it." 

" But," said I, " the set of ware will more than 
pay your bill." 

" I did not realize enough out of it to pay my 
bill by five dollars," he said. 

I knew that the rumseller was hard upon me, as 
my ware was worth five dollars more than his bill, 
but I told him that I would pay him as soon as I 
obtained some money. 

As the store where I obtained my groceries was 
closed up, I asked my overseer to direct me to one 



LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 219 

where no liquor was kept. He directed me to a re- 
spectable place, where I could not obtain liquor. 

I was invited one evening down to F 's, who 

kept a liquor hole, and as I neared the place I 
heard the sound of a fiddle, anl I thought that the 
company were having quite a merry time. I went 
in, and the keeper treated me to a drink, and I 
soon had taken quite a number of glasses, and felt 
pretty well. There was a large, stout-built man 
there, and he was bragging of his exploits ; we did 
not agree very well, and we soon got to fighting, 
and made such a disturbance that the others there 
called for the police, and I had to take my leave, or 
get into the watch-house. I chose the former, and 
in going down over the stairs I was seized, but 
breaking away, I started on a run for home, which 
I soon reached. I fastened my door, expecting 
that some one would be after me, as I knew that 
my opponent had got a pretty severe whipping ; but 
no one came, and I went to bed. I used to have 

many drunken sprees with F , and many were 

the quarrels that I have had in his rum shop ; but 
I will forbear relating many incidents of my life, 
that happened about this time, as 1 am well aware 
that the pages of this work will be swelled out to a 
greater length than will be profitable to the subject 
of the narrative, or the reader. 



220 LIFE OF ISA 40 W. AMBLER. 

After working in the Ocean Mill a number of 
months, I went and obtained work in another one, 
and also moved about the same time into a room 
that I obtained about one mile from my work. 
Soon after I moved, I went on a " spree" with a 
number of other men, and one of them, I remem- 
ber, was as good and as free-hearted a fellow as I 
ever saw, and would always help me when I got 
into difficulty ; and although he led a miserable 
life, he gave me good advice, which, if I had fol- 
lowed, would have saved me from many troubles 
and difficulties that I have undergone. We all 
agreed to leave the place, and go to Biddeford. 

When I went home I told my wife that I intended 
to leave, and the next morning I left, leaving in the 
house only a peck of potatoes for my wife (my 
wife's mother had gone to St. John's) to eat. I ar- 
rived at Biddeford, and went into the weave -room, 
upon the Pepperell Corporation, and saw the over- 
seer, and obtained a situation to work. I worked 
in the mills two or three days, when two of the 
men that agreed to come to Biddeford, came into 
the mill where I was working, and one of them 
was so exhausted, having been without food for 
some time, and walked from Newburyport, that he 
fainted in the room, and had to be carried out. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 221 

1 obtained some work for the two men. As soon 
as I received some money, I sent it to my wife, 
who immediately came to Biddeford, leaving her 
little furniture behind. I drank so hard now, 
while in Biddeford, that my wife could not put up 
with it, and she told me that she was determined 
to leave ; and as I could not persuade her to stay, 
I left my work, and went to Portland with her, and 
to the wharf where she took the steamboat for St. 
John's. 

I stood again upon the same wharf that I had 
stood upon about four years before, but under what 
different circumstances ! 1 thought that I had es- 
caped to a land of freedom, but I found that I had 
only got myself into a worse condition than I was 
in when in the army ; for there I was under a dis- 
cipline that restrained me. to a considerable extent, 
but here T did as T wished, and I thought how fast 
I had gone down hill the past four years. But the 
boat was about leaving, and bidding my wife good 
bye, and kissing my child, I jumped upon the 
wharf. Oh ! that it should come to this, that my 
wife should have to leave me, because I was such a 
brute that she could not live with me. I never had 
abused her, never struck her ; I felt glad that I 
could sav that much, but again I thought that 



222 LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

t 

there was much that I could not say. I had not 
provided for her as I should, and by my conduct 
had carried her through misery and degradation. 
These thoughts came upon me as I watched the 
boat, as she was fast disappearing from my view ; 
and, wiping away the tears, I went up into the city, 
and as I had no money, I sold some clothes, and 
got enough to carry me to Biddeford again. 

When I arrived at Biddeford, I felt somewhat 
ashamed to go into the weave-room, and I went 
over into Saco, and got a situation upon the York, 
but meeting some boon companions, I went upon a 
" spree," and lost my chance. When I got sober I 
determined to leave Biddeford, and selling some 
extra clothes that I had, obtained money enough to 
carry me to Newbury port. When I arrived at 
Newburyport, I went to the place where my furni- 
ture was, and found that -it was all safe, and then I 
tried to get a chance to work in the mill, but was 
not successful. I now began to lead a worse life 
than ever, and shortly after I came back, got into a 
drunken row in the house of an Englishman, and 
had to run for my life. As I had no boarding 
house, I walked the streets two nights and three 
days without sleep or food of any kind. The next 
night I went to the friend that I have referred to 
before, who had helped me out of difficulties many 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 223 

times, and he gave me half a dollar, which I spent 
for something to eat and a lodging for the night. 
The next day I tried again to get work in the mill, 
and was successful. 

I was now boarding with a man named T , 

who kept a man and his wife beside myself. The 
man that boarded with me was a great drinker, and 
would oftentimes come home intoxicated. He 
came home one evening quite intoxicated ; he was 
jealous of his wife, and had oftentimes threatened 
her life, and she was always afraid of him when he 
was intoxicated. She followed him to the chamber 
where he went into his bed-room, and she there 
heard him handling his razor and strop, and talking 
about taking life. She hurried down stairs, to the 
keeper of the house, who was an old man, and in- 
formed him that she was suspicious that her hus- 
band meant to take her life. The boarding master 
came and told me that I must take care of the fel- 
low, and I took the tongs, and stationed myself be- ' 
side the door that he would pass through as he 
came down stairs. I soon heard him coming down, 
and as he reached the door, he saw me prepared to 
meet him, upon which he halted. I saw the razor 
in his hand, and I said : 

" Bill, what are you going to do? If you do not 



'224: LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLBB. 

instantly put aside that razor I will knock you 
down." Seeing that I was determined to be as 
good as my word, he put the razor down upon the 
table, saying, " We have always got along well, and 
I don't wish to have any quarrel with you." 

" Well then," I said, " if you do not wish to 
have a quarrel with me, you must go up to your 
bed-room and stay there." 

He went up to his room, and did not show him- 
self until morning, when he left the place, without 
taking his wife. 

I soon commenced drinking again as bad as ever, 
and one Sunday a number of us assembled in a 
drinking house, and I fell in with a fighting char- 
acter, and as I was known to box a little, I was 
matched against him for a pint of brandy. The 
one that got the first clip would have to pay for the 
drink. We stood up, and commenced to strike and 
parry, and I soon gave him a light blow in the 
face. I let my hands fall down by my side as soon 
as I gave the blow, and my opponent taking advan- 
tage of my exposed condition, struck me a pretty 
severe blow, knocking me down in the corner of 
the room. I was upon my feet in an instant, and 
before the company could arrest me, I gave him a 
blow that threw him against the wall. Here the 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 225 

company separated us, and the fellow apologized, 
and paid for the liquor. 

After we drank the liquor, I started to go home, 
and as the people were just coming from church, I 
felt rather ashamed to he seen in the condition that 
I was in, and I ran down upon a wharf that was 
near, and as this was in the winter, jumped upon 
the ice. It was in small cakes, and I sank into the 
water. I arose, hut could not get out, as I was 
entirely surrounded by small cakes of ice that 
would not support me. I cried out for help, and 

F , that kept the rum shop, with another man, 

came to my rescue. They pulled me out with 
some difficulty, and after recovering some, they in- 
vited me to go and have a drink, but I would not, 
and went home, looking, as the saying is, " like a 
drowned rat." 

A short time after, a few of us met in F 's 

rum shop, and for sport, one said that he could tell 
our fortunes by the bumps on our heads, and 
putting his hands upon the young man's head, said 
" You will live many years, if you do not make 
way with yourself." 

The young fellow said, " I intend to live long 

enough to pay my debts, and then I shall take my 

life." 

.10* 



226 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

This answer, that seemed to be made in good 
earnest, somewhat sent a chill over the company, 
and we soon separated, but I did not forget the 
answer that was made. It seemed to me just as if 
the young man meant what he said, and I thought 
that if I lived, I would see to what an end the 
man came. 

I had written to my wife a number of times, and 
had sent money for her to come up with, and as I 
thought that she would be up soon, I secured a 
tenement, and had my furniture moved to my new 
quarters, and thought that I would keep bachelor's 
hall until she came. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 227 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



1 have now reached the period in my his- 
tory, the most important. Hitherto I relied upon 
my own strength, bnt I now called upon one who 
was able and willing to save to the uttermost, all 
that put their trust in him. The inebriate's friend, 
the sinner's Savior, the only one that can lend us 
that assistance that is able to sustain us when the 
hour of trial comes, and place our feet upon a sure 
foundation. 

About this time, a vestry, where the children of 
Grod held stated prayer meetings, was moved to a 
spot near where I lived, and one evening, I told 
my wife that I was going in to see how they per- 
formed. I had never attended one since I was a 
boy; I therefore took my boy with me, and went 
into the meeting. As I entered, a female was en- 
gaged in prayer. How strangely it thrilled me! 
It seemed to bring back my early days, when I 



22 S LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

knelt beside my little bed, with my grandmother at 
my side, and repeated my evening prayer. The 
prayer seemed to touch my heart, and it was with 
considerable effort that I restrained the tears from 
flowing. I would have given anything to have 
been out of the place, but 1 could not stir from the 
spot. When the meeting closed, I went home, and 
my wife asked me how I liked the meeting. I did 
not think much of it, I said, but I felt at the same 
time that I was telling a falsehood. I went out of 
the house, and down to a shop where I drank a 
glass of liquor, to drive away the feeling that ex- 
isted within me, but it was of no avail. I could 
not stop my thoughts, and 1 felt as bad as ever. 

In a day or two after, some one came into the 
mill, and told me that a woman that worked for 
me, and that I had missed from work, wished to 
see me, as she was near death. I went to see her, 
hardly believing the sad news, as I saw the woman 
the day before in perfect health, but 1 found her 
speechless, and near death, and I soon went back 
to my work in the mills, but I was restless, and I 
went out of the mills to the house, where she was 
sick, and found her dead, and friends were gathered 
there weeping over her. Although I had passed 
through many trying scenes, yet I shed tears at 
that time. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 229 

As I went back to my work, what thoughts rushed 
through niy mind ! Are you prepared to die ? I 
could not answer this question as I wished I could, 
I was not prepared. I thought of the promise I 
made God when I was sick in the hospital. Oh, 
that I had kept it. I thought that this was a warn- 
ing to me, " Be ye also ready." It seemed as if God 
had spoken to me by his providence numerous 
times. 

That night there was a prayer meeting in the 
vestry, and I went with my little boy. As I enter- 
ed I was interested by the hymn that was sung, 
which they had just commenced as I entered, and 
the first words were these, "Jesus died on Calvary 
mountain." How sweet they sounded to me, and 
I thought, Did Jesus die on Calvary's mountain for 
me? Did Jesus do this for poor sinners? — all this, 
and I have rebelled against him all my life. And 
as they sung the hymn with the beautiful words, 
"Children, come home," I thought, those words can- 
not apply to me, it is to those alone that love him, 
and have been faithful to him. I felt that I was 
not a child of God, but that 1 was living far from 
him, therefore those sweet words could not be ad- 
dressed to me. I trembled in my seat. The sweat 
dropped from my brow, and I felt that I should 
sink to the floor. After the hymn was sung, the 



230 LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

minister prayed, and others followed, and all their 
prayers seemed to be directed to me. I could not 
sit upon my seat — I must do something, and with 
considerable difficulty, I pulled myself up by the 
seat before me, and told them that I wished to 
become a member of their society (as I had never 
been to a prayer meeting since a boy, I was not 
acquainted with their rules and customs, and was 
altogether ignorant). As I sat down, the people 
smiled all around me, and some even laughed 
aloud, whilst others seemed to be angry, thinking 
that I was making fun of them, as I had led such a 
dissipated life. Soon after the meeting closed, and 
the minister came along and shook me by the hand, 
and said: "God bless you." This was something 
new to me, to have a respectable man shake me by 
the hand, as though I were a brother, and say, " God 
bless you." I could have withstood the curses of a 
companion, and could have replied to him. but the 
voice of love, of sympathy, and kindness was some- 
thing new, and I could not withstand it, could not 
say a word, but burst into tears. I left the place, 
and went home, and when I arrived there my wife 
asked me how I liked the meeting. I replied that 
I liked it much. " But wife," 1 continued, " I want 
you to pray for me, I am no scholar, and I do not 



LIFE OP ISAAC W. AMBLER. 231 

know how." But my wife made no reply to my re- 
quest, and I thought, I will pray myself. But then, 
I said to myself, how can I pray, sinner that I am, 
will it be acceptable? But whilst these thoughts 
rushed through my mind, I remembered the hymn 
that was sung at the prayer meeting : 

" Just as I am, without one plea, 
But that thy blood was shed for me, 
And that thou bidst me come to thee, 
O Lamb of God, I come." 

I fell upon my knees and confessed my sins to 
God, and asked his pardon. My wife could not 
subdue her tears, but falling down beside me upon 
her knees, we both prayed earnestly and humbly to 
God. 

I always thought, before a few days past, that 
prayer was a senseless, cold, heartless ceremony ; 
but what a mistake I made, for I felt my heart soft- 
ened, and that Jesus that died upon Calvary's hill 
was near me. I felt the peace of God that passeth 
understanding whilst I was upon my knees ; and 
although ignorant as I was, of spiritual things, the 
great mystery of salvation and the atonement, 
came like a ray of light from heaven, and illumi- 
nated my benighted soul, and we both arose, justi- 
fied, I believe, in the sight of God. As I arose 



232 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

upon my feet, T felt that I was a new being. 1 was 
loaded with guilt and sin when I bowed before the 
Throne of Grace, but now it was gone, and I felt 
that I could say amen to the passage in the Scrip- 
ture, " For my yoke is easy, and my burden is 
light." I felt like a child, and as I looked back 
upon my past life, I thought, " Oh ! that I could 
live my life over again, and that what I know now 
I had experienced in the morning of life. Oh ! 
that I had found Christ years ago ; what a progress 
I might have made in life, and what comfort and 
happiness might I have enjoyed. 

I think of my grandmother now, 
And of the many tears she shed, 
And how at night she made me bow, 
By the side of my lowly bed. 

And with hands uplifted there, 
Methinks her form I see, 
Beside the old arm chair, 
As she offered her prayer for me. 

Earnest and long she plead for me, 
(Her spirit seemed crushed within) 
That from the tempter I might flee, 
And be kept from the path of sin. 

Those prayers, they ring in my ears, 
1 hough offered years ago, 
As I think of them now, the tears 
I cannot stop their flow. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 233 

The prayers that my grandmother made 
Have found answer with God on high, 
And though her form in the earth is laid, 
Her spirit seems now ever nigh. 

The next day I went to my work ; and as I en- 
tered the mill, some laughed at me, as they had 
been told that I spoke in the prayer meeting ; but 
I paid no attention to the sneers or remarks that 
were made, as I felt happy for the first time. I 
went with my wife to the next prayer meeting, and 
in the course of the evening I arose and said that I 
was a great sinner, and that I desired their prayers 
for me. Some laughed, whilst a few said amen. 
The meeting closed, and the minister came and 
shook me by the hand ; and, as this was Saturday, 
asked me to attend church next day. I made no 
reply, as I felt ashamed to tell him that I had no 
clothes to wear. Whilst I was going home, the 
words that were spoken by some one at the meeting, 
" Give up all for Christ," seemed to ring in my ears, 
and I thought, " What can I give ? I have no 
clothes, money, or anything ;" and then again, I 
thought of the words in the hymn — 

In my hand no price I bring, 
Simply to thy cross I cling. 

On the Sabbath I remained at home, and tried to 



234 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

read the Bible ; but I did not succeed very well, as 
my wife would laugh at me as I pronounced the 
words, and I laid it aside. Sabbath evening I at- 
tended the meeting, and told them that I had peace 
and joy in calling upon the Lord, and that I felt 
that He had heard my prayers. No one laughed 
at me now, as they found that I was in earnest. 

I attended the prayer meeting regularly, and 
soon obtained suitable clothes and went to church, 
and listened to the preaching of the gospel, and felt 
strengthened in the Lord. My appetite for liquor 
continued for some time, but with the help of God 
I was enabled to overcome it, and live soberly and 
humbly before God. 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 235 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



As soon as my eyes were opened, and I saw the 
goodness of God, my heart went out for others, and 
1 succeeded in getting some of my old companions 
into the prayer meeting. My low songs, that I be- 
fore had sung in the bar-room, were now changed 
into hymns ; and I purchased me a hymn book, and 
my wife read the hymns to me until I could repeat 
them, and 1 soon began to sing, which I found 
profitable to me, for it kept my mind active, and 
made me forget the old habits which somewhat 
clung to me. 

Oh ! if poor drunkards could come to Him who 
is mighty to save, and who alone can lead them 
safely through this world, then would they know in 
whom they put their trust, and they would find 
Him a high tower, to which they could flee in time 
of danger. The poor man who resolves to leave off 
in his own strength, how often he falls by the way I 
Not so those who out their trust in the Lord, for 



236 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLEB. 

they are strong in Him, and all the powers of dark- 
ness cannot prevail against Him ; and whenever 
trials come, they will find His grace sufficient for 
them. 

I continued to walk in the way the Lord di- 
rected, and to grow in grace ; and I was asked by 
a number of the brethren to unite with the church, 
and after some thought upon the subject, my wife 
and myself were baptized, and united with the 
Christian .. - Church, under the care of Rev. 
Daniel Pike, May 7, 1857. 

The minister, when he received us into the 
church, held up the Bible, and told us to take it for 
our guide ; it was a blank book to me, for I could 
not read its pages, but I felt that I would try and 
explore it, and find the hidden treasures that were 
hidden within. I studied some three months upon 
the Bible, and learned so that I could read it tol- 
erably well. How proud I felt ! I went to the 
meeting, and I told them that I could read the 
Bible. That evening I heard them pray for a re- 
vival, and although I had heard the word before, I 
did not know its meaning, and I went home and 
asked my wife, who explained the meaning of the 
word to me. 

On Christmas evening, (I never shall forget it) 
there was a prayer meeting, and although there 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMELER. 237 

were but few there, yet God was with them, and 
the few Christians there prayed earnestly for God 
to revive his work. From that time there was 
manifested quite an interest, and soon the candle 
of the Lord shone in our midst, and our little 
vestry, that we were wont to assemble in, was filled 
with inquiring sinners. 

We commenced a protracted meeting, which was 
held every evening for some length of time. There 
was one young man that attended those meetings 
regularly, and seemed to be interested, but yet was 
not converted ; one evening, I remember, the min- 
ister's mother spoke of the goodness of God to her ; 
she spoke with a broken voice, and it touched the 
young man's heart, and he arose for prayers. I 
heard this young man say, after the meeting, that 
he thanked God that he ever heard her speak. It 
was the voice of a female engaged in prayer that 
arrested my attention. The tones of a female in 
prayer seemed to carry me back to my childhood 
days, when my mother blest and gave me to God. 
No doubt the thoughts of the young man were car- 
ried back to his childhood days, when he heard the 
woman's voice. Perhaps he thought of the time 
when a kind mother blessed him, and taught him 
to say his evening prayers. 

There were near three hundred that went forward 



238 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

for prayers in those meetings that were held at that 
time. The revival first commenced in the little 
vestry, but it soon spread over the whole city. 

No Christian that passed through those glorious 
scenes, when God made his people to sit together 
in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, can ever forget 
them, but they will be ever fresh in his memory, and 
when the church of Christ is low and in darkness, 
the memory of those scenes will serve to lighten 
his heart, and cause his faith in Christ to be as 
strong as the prophet of old, who said: "Although 
the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be 
in the vine ; the labor of the olive shall fail, and 
the field shall yield no meat; the flocks shall be 
cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in 
the stall; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy 
in the God of my salvatfon." 

Many came from the country near the city to 
our meetings, and found him of whom Moses and 
the prophets wrote. Many of the churches of 
Christ were refreshed by the presence of the Lord, 
and were strengthened in faith and numbers. One 
beautiful and marked feature of the great revival 
was the union of different denominations, and the 
harmony and oneness that existed at that time, no 
former period ever witnessed. The world had here- 
Hfore charged the churches with coldness to one 



LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 239 

another, but this barrier being broken down, the 
world could only look on in wonder, and exclaim, 
"This is the Lord's doings, and is marvellous in 
our eyes." 

I continued to attend the public services in the 
house of God, and to be prompt to the social prayer 
meetings.- 

About this time I heard that Ackroid, who had 
been my companion through a portion of my life, 
had been killed at Sebastopol. I felt thankful to 
God that I had escaped from the army, and that He 
had shown me the error of my ways, and brought 
me, as I trusted, into his fold. I felt a strong de- 
sire to see men come into the kingdom of God, 
and this desire so pervaded my mind, that when at 
my work this was the thought that was ever upper- 
most ; and so much did it engage my attention, 
that I told my wife that I could not work, and that 
I thought of going to Biddeford, and inviting my 
old companions there to come to Christ. I left the 
mills in the spring of 1859, and took the cars for 
that place. 

I remained in Biddeford some three weeks, and 
was invited by the different evangelical churches to 
act as missionary in that place, and after going 
back to Newburyport, and packing my furniture, I 



240 LIFE OF ISAAC W. AMBLER. 

returned again with my family, and commenced my 
labors, and I here express my thanks to the mem- 
bers of the different churches of Biddeford, who 
have assisted me in my work by their earnest pray- 
ers and generous contributions. 

Reader, my work is done, and the scenes of my 
life are before you, — when in sin I was like the 
troubled sea, that throws up mire and dirt, but 
now I feel that I am led beside still waters and in 
green pastures, and I can say, as David did, I wait- 
ed patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me, 
and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of 
a horrible pit and miry clay, and set my feet upon 
a rock, and established my goings. And he hath 
put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our 
God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust 
in the Lord. 

FINIS. 



r 



6 1801. 



